Anand: Nearly a month after the collapse of the Gambhira Bridge, the tanker that had been precariously hanging from the bridge has finally been lifted to road level and moved back, paving the way for its removal.

The complex and high-risk operation was carried out by the Marine Emergency Response Centre team of Vishwakarma Engineering Company, a marine salvaging expert based in Porbandar. Using two capsule balloons, the team elevated the tanker and then pulled it back onto the bridge using ropes.

The tanker had been suspended from the bridge since July 9, following the collapse of a bridge slab that resulted in the tragic deaths of 21 people. The use of capsule balloon technology to lift the vehicle marks a major breakthrough in the ongoing rescue efforts.

As of now, the front portion of the tanker has been raised, and the operation to fully retrieve the vehicle using hydraulic strand jacks is underway. Senior district officials, including the Anand Collector, are closely monitoring the efforts.

Over the past two days, more than 50 personnel from the company have been working on various strategies to safely and cost-effectively extract the tanker using advanced technology.

Initial plans to use air balloons were dropped due to high costs and safety concerns. Instead, expert engineers opted for air-lifting roller bags—typically used to recover vessels from the sea—along with a large crane to complete the operation.

“A team of 50–60 people from the Vishwakarma Group in Porbandar is working on-site. Their top priority is safety, especially since the operation must be conducted from a distance of 900 meters. We expect the tanker to be fully recovered in the next 2–3 days,” the Collector said.

To ensure precision and safety, four drones have been deployed to capture video footage and provide real-time monitoring of the operation. DeshGujarat