A popular bridge in a tourist destination collapsed into a river on Sunday, leaving at least four dead and 51 injured. The iron structure, which stretches across the Indrayani river in west India, broke while more than 100 people were reportedly standing on it. The incident took place at 3:30pm local time, as emergency services rushed to the scene.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, fire brigade and other agencies were called to the bridge, where they used cranes to lift the collapsed footbridge. Local media reported that of the number of people injured during the fatal incident, at least eight were rushed to hospital in critical condition. The river beneath the bridge – located in the Kundamala area in Pune district – was flowing steadily following heavy rains over the past few days, Press Trust of India reported.
However, it was not raining when the bridge collapsed, local media reports.
The area is a hotspot for visitors at this time of year who often go for picnics. The footbridge connects Shelarwadi, which is near to the old Pune-Mumbai highway, with Kanhewadi, located next to Indori.
Survivor Umakant Dalvi, who was on the bridge at the time of the incident, said the bridge was so crowded that no one was able to move. “Everyone started running towards the main road as the structure halved and collapsed,” he stated.
State minister for water resources and disaster management Girish Mahajan wrote on social media that those injured have been undergoing treatment in hospital.
He said: “The patients injured in the bridge collapse accident on the Indrayani river at Kundamala in Maval taluka have been admitted to Atharva Hospital in Talegaon for treatment. The Chief Minister met the patients, inquired about their health and reassured them.
“He also interacted with the doctors treating all the injured patients to ensure that they get the best treatment. The Chief Minister of the state, Shri @Dev_Fadnavis Ji, was given a detailed information about the situation and rescue operations.”
Mr Mahajan added: “There is a signboard warning people against standing on the bridge, but it seems everyone ignored it.”
According to Press Trust, recovery units have undertaken rescue operations conducted by teams of the National Disaster Response Force and other search and recovery units.
This comes just days after the Air India disaster that claimed the lives of all but one passengers aboard the Gatwick-bound flight that crashed on Thusday.
