Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 15: At least two tourists have died and several others were reportedly swept away after an iron bridge over the Indrayani River in Pune collapsed on Sunday afternoon, according to officials.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said 32 people have sustained injuries, of whom six were critical. Six people have been rescued so far.
The bridge is located in the Kundamala area, a popular tourist destination that sees high footfall during monsoons. Scores of tourists were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, fell into the swollen river and some were reportedly swept away. The region has been experiencing heavy rains over the past few days. However, it was not raining when the bridge collapsed, according to police officials.
Police and disaster relief workers, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), reached the spot and rescue work is ongoing. “As some people have been swept away, a search is being carried out on a war footing. NDRF has been deployed at the spot. The relief work has been immediately accelerated,” Mr Fadnavis said.
Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Pune Ajit Pawar said the bridge was in a bad state and the number of people on the bridge, along with the presence of several two-wheelers on it, led to the structure giving way. “A Rs 8 crore bridge has been approved there, I have asked the collector for information about the same,” he said.
His colleague and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said instructions have been issued to conduct structural audits on all bridges over the river in the state. “This accident will be thoroughly investigated, and action will be taken against those responsible. No one will be spared,” he said.
Amol, who was on the bridge at the time, said the structure was shaking for five minutes before it collapsed. “I struggled for 15 minutes in the water and finally held a pipe and came out. Locals were the first responders in this situation,” he said At least 50 people were on the bridge when it collapsed, another eyewitness Latika said, who was at the site with her mother and uncle.
The bridge collapse in Pune rural’s Maval area comes even as an orange alert remains in place for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, with heavy to very heavy rains expected in the ghat regions. The area had received heavy rains in the last two days. Residents had reportedly raised concerns about the structural safety of the bridge, which was renovated 4-5 years ago, but many tourists were unaware of the potential danger.
Mr Pawar said the iron bridge over the Indrayani river was rusted and prima facie it gave way as several people were standing on the structure. “We have received various versions of the incident. As per the preliminary information, the bridge was old and rusted. Many people were standing on the bridge when it collapsed,” he said.
Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi said 38 people have been rescued so far, and 30 of them hospitalised, while six others sustained serious injuries. The collector said the exact number of people present on the bridge when it collapsed and swept away is being assessed. “We are also assessing how many people are missing,” he added.
The bridge collapse took place at around 2 pm, while tourists were spending their weekend on the bridge. After receiving information of the collapse, local police, villagers and disaster relief workers reached the spot and initiated rescue efforts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently in Cyprus, spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and was briefed on rescue efforts after the Pune bridge collapse. Home Minister Amit Shah also condoled the Pune bridge collapse, spoke to Fadnavis and praised NDRF’s swift rescue efforts.
“This incident is very unfortunate and I pray to God that all these citizens are safe. I have spoken to the District Collector, Pune regarding this incident and he is sending all necessary help. My humble request to the citizens is that please take necessary precautions while going for monsoon tourism,” said NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over the bridge collapse. “Media have already been talking of several deaths in the bridge accident, while many more are still missing. My sincere condolences to the families of all the deceased, even while we anxiously wait for survivors’ reports,” she said.
