Pune: Iron bridge collapse on Indrayani river leaves 4 dead, 18 injured

At least 4 persons died and 18 injured with several others feared to have been swept away after an iron bridge over Indrayani river collapsed on Sunday afternoon in Pune's Maval tehsil, officials said.

The incident took place in Kundamala area, which has been seeing heavy rains over the past few days, giving the river a steady flow, an official from Talegaon Dabhade police station said. It was not raining when the bridge collapsed, he added.

"While two bodies were recovered from beneath the structure, two persons succumbed to injuries during treatment after being rescued. One person is suspected to be trapped still," said Talegaon Dabhade police station senior inspector Pradeep Rayannawar.

"So far, 51 persons have been rescued. Of these, 18 sustained serious injuries and are admitted to three different three hospitals. Two people died during treatment," a statement from the district administration informed.

The deceased have been identified as Chandrakant Sathale, Rohit Mane and Vihan Mane. One of the deceased is unidentified, an official said.

Pune Collector Jitendra Dudi said the bridge had been declared unsafe, but 100 persons were present there, with most busy taking selfies.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and personnel from other specialised units, including the fire brigade, are at the spot, which was crowded due to it being a Sunday, the official added.

The area is heavily patronised by picnickers, the police official said.

"A committee will be formed to probe lapses, if any, on the part of the local administration and secondly to check if standard operating procedures should have been implemented. The incident occurred despite warning sings and an existing order banning large gatherings in the area," he said.

The bridge had been declared unfit for vehicular traffic, while a new structure had been proposed for vehicles, Dudi added.

Nilesh Khollam, who was at the bridge with three friends, said the structure collapsed the moment they got off it, adding that he saw some people fall into the river and four to five getting swept away.

He also said the bridge was narrow, on which just one vehicle could pass at a time.

Khollam said he and his friends managed to rescue three to four people, including an elderly man.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and enquired about the situation on the ground following the collapse of the bridge.

Shah said teams posted nearby quickly joined the rescue operation.

"Deeply saddened by the tragic incident of the bridge collapse on the Indrayani River in Talegaon, Pune.

Large cranes were deployed to lift the collapsed structure from the river, and rescue work continued till late evening. Police late Sunday night said the search operation will resume on Monday.