A decommissioned airplane, being transported from Mumbai to Assam on a trailer truck, got stuck under the Piprakothi bridge in Motihari, Bihar. The mishap led to a major traffic jam on NH-27, causing inconvenience for commuters. The incident was captured in a viral video shared on social media platforms.
According to police reports, the driver of the lorry transporting the plane misjudged the height clearance between the overbridge and the cargo. This miscalculation resulted in the airplane becoming lodged beneath the Piprakothi bridge. Eyewitnesses revealed that the plane remained stuck for over an hour, exacerbating traffic congestion in the area.
The local police and authorities swiftly responded to the situation, working to safely remove the lorry and the stuck airplane from under the bridge. The incident drew a crowd of onlookers, turning the rescue operation into a spectacle. Although there were no reported damages to the flyover, a thorough inspection is likely to be conducted to ensure structural integrity before reopening the route.
Pictures and videos of the incident circulated widely on social media, prompting discussions on the skills of heavy vehicle drivers and the importance of precautions during such transports. Some raised questions about the absence of iron barricades displaying flyover heights, a common preventive measure in such situations.
This incident is reminiscent of a similar occurrence in Andhra Pradesh last year, where the body of an airplane en route from Kochi to Hyderabad got stuck under an underpass. Such incidents highlight the need for careful consideration of cargo height and adequate precautions during transportation.
After approximately three hours, the traffic jam caused by the airplane’s entrapment was resolved. The resolution efforts involved safely removing the lorry and the decommissioned plane, allowing the smooth flow of traffic on NH-27.