People standing in middle were swept away, we fell on stones: Survivor recalls fall from Indrayani River bridge

ANI June 16, 2025 279 views

A survivor vividly described the terrifying moment when the overcrowded Indrayani River bridge collapsed, sweeping people into the water. Four lives were lost, and 51 were injured as rescue teams worked tirelessly to locate missing individuals. Prime Minister Modi and Maharashtra CM Fadnavis personally monitored relief operations, deploying NDRF teams. The tragedy highlights infrastructure risks during heavy congestion, with investigations likely to follow.

"The crowd gathered at one place, and the bridge collapsed. We fell on the stones and got injured." – Survivor to ANI
Pune, June 16: Following the death of four people in the Indrayani River bridge collapse incident, one of the survivors, who was injured, on Monday recalled that there was a huge crowd, which had gathered at one place on the bridge, leading to its collapse.

Key Points

1

Survivor recounts bridge collapse due to overcrowding

2

4 dead, 51 injured in Pune tragedy

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NDRF deployed for ongoing search operations

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PM Modi and CM Fadnavis coordinating relief efforts

Speaking to ANI, the man recalled that the people standing in the middle of the bridge were swept away in the Indrayani River.

"There was a huge crowd on the bridge. The road was jammed due to vehicles coming from both sides. The crowd gathered at one place, and the bridge collapsed. People standing in the middle of the bridge were swept away. We fell on the stones and got injured," he said.

Maval Tahsildar Vikram Deshmukh said, "The injured are being treated in the hospital. We have not received any complaints of missing people. Four people have died in the incident."

According to District Collector Jitendra Dudi, the tragic incident occurred at 3:15 pm on Sunday, and rescue teams were alerted by 3:30 pm.

Speaking to ANI, Dudi said, "A total of 51 people are injured and admitted to different hospitals, taking treatment, and four individuals have died. Three were identified as Chandrakant Salve, Rohit Mane, and Vihaan Mane, and one was male but unidentified."

He added, "A team of about 250 people immediately came here. The rescue operation started, and so far we have rescued about 38 people." Dudi confirmed that search operations were ongoing, as two people were still unaccounted for.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reached Cyprus, spoke to CM Fadnavis to take stock of the ongoing rescue and relief operations.

The Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow over the incident and said he is in constant touch with senior officials, including the Divisional Commissioner, District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and Tehsildar.

"It was very sad to hear the news of the accident in which a bridge over the Indrayani river collapsed at Indori near Talegaon in Pune district. According to preliminary information, 2 people have died in this incident. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them. We share the grief of their families," Fadnavis said in a post on X.

He added, "I am in constant touch with the Divisional Commissioner, District Collector, Superintendent of Police and the concerned Tehsildar regarding this incident. As some people have been swept away, a search is being carried out for them. NDRF has been deployed at the spot. Relief work has been given immediate impetus...all the agencies have been ordered to be put on alert mode...they have been admitted to the hospital for treatment."

Reader Comments

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Rajesh P.
This is heartbreaking 💔 Our infrastructure needs urgent attention. How many more lives must we lose before authorities take bridge maintenance seriously? The survivor's account gives me chills - imagine just standing there and suddenly falling...
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Priya M.
My prayers for the victims' families. The rescue teams are doing commendable work in difficult conditions. But why was such a large crowd allowed on an old bridge? There should be weight limit signs and traffic police monitoring.
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Amit K.
This bridge was known to be weak for years! Local people had complained multiple times. Now 4 lives lost and dozens injured. When will our system become proactive instead of reactive? 😡
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Sunita R.
The survivor's description is so vivid - "we fell on stones". My heart goes out to all affected. Hope the unidentified victim's family is found soon. Authorities must conduct safety audits of all old bridges in Maharashtra immediately.
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Vikram J.
While the tragedy is undeniable, I appreciate how quickly the rescue operations began - within 15 minutes of collapse. The 250-member team deserves praise. But we need accountability - who ignored the bridge's maintenance?
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Neha T.
Such incidents show how fragile life is. One moment people are going about their day, next moment tragedy strikes. Hope the injured recover soon. The government should compensate families adequately and fix accountability.

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Tags:
Indrayani bridge collapse Pune accident bridge disaster Narendra Modi Devendra Fadnavis NDRF rescue