Iron Bridge Collapse at Western India Tourist Spot: 2 Fatalities and 32 Injuries Reported

NEW DELHI — An iron bridge collapse at a well-known tourist spot in western India’s Maharashtra state has resulted in at least two fatalities and 32 injuries, according to the state’s chief official.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared on social media platform X that at least six individuals are in critical condition following the incident. Reports indicate that numerous tourists were on the bridge at the time it collapsed, dropping many into the river below.

Fadnavis said six people were rescued and that an intense search operation was ongoing as some people were swept away.

The tragic event took place in the Kundamala area of Pune district, which has been experiencing severe rainfall recently, leading to heightened river levels, according to Press Trust of India.

It was not raining when the bridge collapsed in an area frequented by picnickers, the news agency reported.

Police said teams of the National Disaster Response Force and other search and recovery units have undertaken rescue operations, Press Trust said.

India’s infrastructure has long been marred by safety concerns, sometimes leading to major disasters on its highways and bridges.

In 2022, a century-old cable suspension bridge collapsed into a river in the western state of Gujarat, sending hundreds plunging into the water and killing at least 132 in one of the worst accidents in the country in the past decade.