A survivor who was on the bridge at the time, said the bridge was so crowded there was no space for anyone to move, adding: “Everyone started running towards the main road as the structure haved and collapsed”
At least four people have died after a bridge over a river at a popular tourist destination collapsed on Sunday.
More than 100 people were reportedly on the footbridge over the Indrayani river in west India when a section of the structure collapsed at 3.30pm local time. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, fire brigade and other agencies used cranes to lift the collapsed iron structure.
The tragic incident left 51 others injured with at least eight of them rushed to hospital in critical condition, local media reports.
The incident occurred in Kundamala area in Pune district, which has witnessed heavy rains over the past few days, giving the river a steady flow, Press Trust of India reported. However, it was not raining when the bridge collapsed in an area frequented by picnickers, the news agency reported.
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The footbridge connecting Shelarwadi, close to the old Pune-Mumbai highway, with Kanhewadi near Indori is a vantage point or people visiting the area at this time of year to enjoy the surroundings.
State minister for water resources and disaster management Girish Mahajan wrote on X: “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.”
“There is a signboard warning people against standing on the bridge, but it seems everyone ignored it,” Mahajan said.
Umakant Dalvi, a survivor who was on the bridge at the time, said the bridge was so crowded there was no space for anyone to move. He said: “Everyone started running towards the main road as the structure haved and collapsed.”
Police said teams of the National Disaster Response Force and other search and recovery units have undertaken rescue operations, Press Trust said.
India’s infrastructure has long been marred by safety concerns, sometimes leading to major disasters on its highways and bridges. In 2022, a century-old cable suspension bridge collapsed into a river in the western state of Gujarat, sending hundreds plunging into the water and killing at least 132 in one of the worst accidents in the country in the past decade.