Four people died and 51 others were injured after a bridge over the Indrayani River near Talegaon, Pune, Maharashtra, collapsed on Sunday afternoon.
District Collector Jitendra Dudi told news agency ANI that the incident happened at 3:15 pm and they received the information at 3:30 pm on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Chandrakant Salve, Rohit Mane, and Vihaan Mane, while the fourth remains unidentified.
Why did the Pune bridge collapse?
The 32-year-old iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani river had reportedly been declared unsafe. It collapsed on Sunday afternoon in Pune’s Maval tehsil, prima facie due to crowding by tourists who ignored the warning board at the spot, PTI reported.
Three factors that may have led to the Pune bridge collapse are:
1. Hundreds of tourists
Maharashtra Water Resources and Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said the bridge collapsed due to excessive load, as nearly 300 tourists stood on it despite warnings.
“This narrow bridge was meant for the movement of the farmers, but 250-300 tourists stood on it, and the bridge collapsed due to excessive load…Entry was denied over the bridge, even police and locals warned about it,” Mahajan told ANI.
Meanwhile, an official reportedly said that more than 100 persons were present on the bridge, a popular spot for tourists and picnickers, when the incident took place in Kundamala — which has seen heavy rains in the past few days, giving the river a steady flow.
The reports also informed that the narrow footbridge was packed with over 150-200 people when a section of it gave way, plunging dozens into the water.
One of those injured in the incident was quoted as saying, “There was a huge crowd on the bridge. The road was jammed due to vehicles coming from both sides… The crowd gathered at one place and the bridge collapsed… People standing in the middle of the bridge were swept away… We fell on the stones and got injured…”
Swapnil Kollam, who claimed to be a witness to the Pune bridge collapse incident, said, “There were more than 150-200 people on the bridge…but, at the place where the bridge collapsed, there were more than 50 people…It is God’s grace that my family is safe…”
2. Restrictions and danger warnings
Maharashtra Minister Makarand Patil said on Sunday that the bridge which collapsed in Pune was restricted for people and two-wheelers but people flocked to the site as they were “excited” for monsoon tourism.
This bridge was restricted for people and two-wheelers, but people were excited for monsoon tourism, many tourists flocked on the bridge and it collapsed,” he told ANI.
Meanwhile, District Collector Jitendra Dudi acknowledged prior warnings about the danger at the Pune bridge.
He said, “We had issued advisories and warnings to all the places that are dangerous for tourists, and this was one such place.
“But unfortunately, the number of tourists increased a lot,” he said, adding that going forward, “we will form a team and investigate the incident, and if the administration is found guilty, I will ensure that action is taken against them as well.”
3. Old bridge
The iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani River was 32 years old, news agency PTI reported.
NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar said the bridge was “quite old and there used to be discussions about its renovation.”
“But unfortunately, it could not be done. There are many such bridges that are old, some date back to 100 years, from the colonial era, in entire Maharashtra and their situation is also dilapidated…,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey claimed that a fund of ₹8 crore had been sanctioned for the bridge but was never utilised.