Overview
- An old iron footbridge over the Najafgarh drain in Roop Nagar collapsed around 9:30 am on Tuesday, and rescuers recovered the body of a woman from the water.
- The bridge, a steel truss span under the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, was inspected in March 2025, declared unsafe, and closed in July 2025.
- Despite barricades, chains and even a wall, the crossing remained widely used as a vital shortcut between Gur Mandi and Roop Nagar.
- Locals said a larger disaster was narrowly avoided because most schoolchildren who use the bridge daily had already crossed before the collapse.
- Officials ordered a citywide safety audit of similar footbridges, while DFS, NDRF and Delhi Police led the rescue with help from a Delhi Boat Club team; police registered a case under BNS section 106 and preliminary reviews point to structural deterioration.