India, July 10 -- The 40-year-old bridge in Gujarat's Vadodara district, which collapsed on Wednesday, was being increasingly used by heavy lorries seeking to avoid tolls on the six-lane Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway.

The detour also shortened the journey of the heavy lorries by at least 30-35 kilometres, according to locals.

A portion of the bridge collapsed during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people. Two lorries, an SUV, a pickup van and an auto-rickshaw fell into the water while a tanker was stuck on the edge of the portion that gave way. The bridge, which connects Anand and Vadodara districts, was built in 1985.

Locals said that each time a heavy vehicle crossed, the spans of the bridge visibly shook....