- Before and after pictures of the Pune bridge that collapsed show there were warning signs.
- Four died, and 50 injured people were rescued after the incident, which occurred amid heavy rainfall.
- The bridge, designed for limited use, was overcrowded with over 100 people and several vehicles.
A narrow space, overcrowding, and ignorance of warning signs led to the tragic bridge collapse over the Indrayani River in Talegaon near Maharashtra's Pune district on Sunday afternoon. Many tourists, who were on the bridge, fell into the river that had been in spate after heavy rainfall over the weekend. Four died, and over 50 injured people were rescued in operations that ended this morning.
Before and after pictures of the bridge showed some warning signs - particularly that it was not made for more than one two-wheeler and a couple of people at a time. According to officials, the bridge had a width of just four feet - making it extremely narrow. However, at the time of the tragedy, there were around seven to eight bikes on the bridge, in addition to a huge crowd. Officials said more than 100 people were present on the bridge, ignoring the warning board at the spot.
Before picture of Pune bridge that collapsed
After picture of Pune bridge collapse
Previous red flags of the bridge
According to officials, potholes had appeared on the bridge, causing two-wheelers to collide. With no permanent solution, locals had put cement blocks on the bridge to temporarily cover the potholes.
The local administration had also not conducted a structural audit of the bridge in the past few years, despite the locals writing a letter to the Public Works Department and the Gram Panchayat two years ago - demanding the repair of the bridge and a ban on the movement of tourists.
The local administration had also not deployed any security in the area. Recently, when the villagers complained, a police official was posted near the bridge every Saturday.
Last year, BJP MLA and minister Ravindra Chavan had sanctioned Rs 80,000 for the repair of the collapsed bridge. However, the money was not used for the repair work.
Pune bridge collapse
Hours before the tragic collapse, a resident had contacted the police control room, informing them of the overcrowding on the bridge around 12:30 pm. Cops had immediately reached the spot and dispersed the crowd. But shortly after, many people (mostly tourists) returned to the bridge - a popular tourist spot.
Around 3:15 pm, the bridge shook for nearly five minutes before it gave in to the weight and collapsed.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said the iron bridge 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.
According to Mr Pawar, a plan for constructing a new bridge over the river was sanctioned.
