- Four tourists have died and several are feared drowned after a bridge collapse in Pune.
- The incident occurred on Sunday at Kundmala, a popular tourist site.
- The bridge was over the Indrayani River, known for high footfall during monsoons.
Four tourists have died and several others are feared to have drowned after a bridge built over the Indrayani river in Pune collapsed, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. 39 people have been rescued so far.
Sunday's incident was reported from Kundmala, a popular tourist destination that sees high footfall during monsoons. Scores of tourists, who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, fell into the swollen river and some were reportedly swept away.
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 wrote in a post in Marathi. He later announced that Rs 5 lakh compensation will be given to the families of those who lost their lives, and the government will bear the expenditure of treatment of the injured.
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.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the collapse. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently in Cyprus, also spoke to Mr Fadnavis and was briefed on the ongoing rescue and relief operations.
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 told NDTV.
At least 50 people were on the bridge, 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.
