A structurally unsound footbridge over the Indrayani river, near Pune, collapsed on Sunday, resulting in four fatalities and 51 injuries. As per he report ” The crowd on the Bridge was beyond is capacity There was alrdy sign board warning people again’ standing on the bridge, and it seemed very ignored,”Mahjan said. The Survivor said ” Bridge was so crowded there was no space for anyone to move”.
What occurred?
On Sunday afternoon around 3:15 p.m. IST, a 32‑year‑old iron‑and‑concrete pedestrian bridge in Kundamala, Maval tehsil (~40 km from Pune), collapsed under a heavy crowd of tourists. The bridge, just ~4 ft wide, had over 100–200 people and several two‑wheelers on it. It suddenly gave way, plunging many into the swollen river below.
Casualties and rescue operations
At least four people died, and 51 others were injured, eight critically. Rescue operations by the NDRF and local teams lasted ~15 hours, rescuing around 55 people. The NDRF officially ended the search late Monday evening as no one remained missing.
Why did it collapse?
Officials attribute the collapse to:
- Structural deterioration — rusted iron spans and concrete damage.
- Severe overcrowding — far beyond its capacity, with about 7–8 bikes and ~150–200 pedestrians present.
- Ignored warnings & no security — warning signs declared it unfit, but enforcement was poor and no barricades or gatekeeping were in place.
