Four drowned in Pune bridge collapse, rescue operations on to trace missing

Pune: At least four people were killed, several others were injured, and many others were missing, while 39 people were rescued after they fell into an overflowing river when an old bridge they were crossing collapsed in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Sunday.

The bridge over the Indrayani River at Kundamala in Pune’s Maval taluka suddenly collapsed, sending the people plunging into the water and being swept away by the overflowing river.

Visuals from the scene showed sections of the bridge, mostly directly over the waters, broken down and having fallen into the river while rescue personnel from various agencies worked to locate and rescue the victims.

A crane was pressed into service as efforts continue to remove parts of the collapsed structure amid rescue operations.

“…It (the bridge) collapsed while people were crossing it. Around 20–25 people were on the bridge at that time. So far, two bodies have been recovered, and the rescue operation is still underway. The families of the victims and a regular crowd have gathered at the site…” a rescue worker told IANS.

An eyewitness, who said that he was stuck on the bridge, told IANS that the structure “was already shaking, but still, people kept coming onto it. There were around 40 to 50 people…”

Vikas Nikam, a relative of Amol Ghule who was injured in the bridge collapse, told IANS: “He was on his way to the hospital, but the bridge collapsed while he was crossing it. The bridge was so weak that it gave way. He was coming to collect his wife’s MRI report, but met with an accident on the way…”

In its latest update, the National Disaster Response Force, which was spearheading the rescue efforts, said that 39 people have been rescued while 4 dead bodies have been recovered so far. Rescue operations are still ongoing.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his grief over the incident.

“I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the tragedy that occurred when a bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed in Indori, near Talegaon in Pune district. According to preliminary information, 2 people have died in this incident. I pay my heartfelt tribute to them. We share the grief of their families. I am in constant touch with the Divisional Commissioner, District Collector, Superintendent of Police and the concerned Tehsildar regarding this incident. 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. 6 people have been rescued so far. All the agencies have been ordered to be on alert mode. 32 people were injured, 6 of them are critical. They have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. The Divisional Commissioner himself has left for the scene,” Fadnavis said in a post in X in Marathi earlier in the day.

The CM announced that the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives in the bridge collapse, and also bear the cost for the medical treatment of the injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed in Cyprus on the first stage of his three-nation visit, held a telephonic conversation with the Chief Minister to discuss the incident, the Maharashtra CMO said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also called up Fadnavis.

“Deeply saddened by the tragic incident of the bridge collapse on the Indrayani River in Talegaon, Pune. Spoke with Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis and inquired about the present situation on the ground. NDRF teams posted nearby quickly rushed to the site, joined the rescue operation, and saved several lives with remarkable promptness. Heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured”, he said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Minister Girish Mahajan arrived at the accident site to assess the situation. Baramati’s NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule also visited the spot, while her party MLA Rohit Pawar visited the injured in the hospital.

Raised water levels, due to heavy rains in the region, exacerbated the disaster. Maval has been recording heavy rains in the previous two days, causing the Indrayani River to be in spate.

Police, fire brigade, and NDRF teams rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation

Kundmala is a popular tourist destination that sees high footfall during monsoons. The footfall was higher as it was a Sunday.

–IANS