NewKerala.com

Key Points

A crowded tourist bridge in Pune’s Kundamala collapsed into the overflowing Indrayani River, killing two and injuring 32. Heavy monsoon rains worsened conditions, sweeping victims downstream as NDRF teams scrambled for rescue. CM Fadnavis confirmed six critical cases and deployed emergency crews amid chaotic scenes. The incident highlights safety concerns over aging infrastructure during peak tourist seasons.

Key Points: Pune Bridge Collapse Kills 2 Tourists as Indrayani River Overflows

  • Old Kundamala bridge collapsed under tourist crowd
  • Heavy rains swelled Indrayani River, worsening rescue efforts
  • NDRF, police, and fire teams search for missing victims
  • CM Fadnavis confirms 2 dead, 6 critical among 32 injured
3 min read

Two drowned as bridge collapses in Pune, rescue operations on

Two dead, 32 injured as Kundamala bridge collapses in Pune amid heavy rains, with NDRF leading rescue operations for swept-away victims.

"I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the tragedy... NDRF has been deployed at the spot — CM Devendra Fadnavis"

Pune, June 15

At least two people were killed, 32 others injured, while six were rescued as several people, mostly tourists, fell into a foaming river when the bridge they were crossing collapsed in Maharashtra's Pune district on Sunday.

The bridge over the Indrayani River at Kundamala in Pune's Maval taluka suddenly collapsed, sending the people plunging into the water and being swept away by the overflowing river.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that preliminary reports indicate two persons have died as he expressed grief over the incident.

"I was deeply saddened to hear the news of the tragedy that occurred when a bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed in Indori, near Talegaon in Pune district. According to preliminary information, 2 people have died in this incident. I pay my heartfelt tribute to them. We share the grief of their families. 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 on a war footing. NDRF has been deployed at the spot. The relief work has been immediately accelerated. 6 people have been rescued so far. All the agencies have been ordered to be on alert mode. 32 people were injured, 6 of them are critical. They have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. The Divisional Commissioner himself has left for the scene," CM Fadnavis said in a post in X in Marathi.

Visuals from the scene show sections of the bridge, mostly directly over the waters, have broken down and fallen into the river while rescue personnel from various agencies worked to locate and rescue the victims.

A crane has been pressed into service as efforts continue to remove parts of the collapsed structure amid rescue operations.

"...It (the bridge) collapsed while people were crossing it. Around 20–25 people were on the bridge at that time. So far, two bodies have been recovered, and the rescue operation is still underway. The families of the victims and a regular crowd have gathered at the site..." a rescue worker told IANS.

Raised water levels, due to heavy rains in the region, exacerbated the disaster. Maval has been recording heavy rains in the previous two days, causing the Indrayani River to be in spate.

Police, fire brigade, and NDRF teams rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation

Kundmala is a popular tourist destination that sees high footfall during monsoons. The footfall was higher as it was a Sunday, and there were reports that the old bridge was overcrowded when the accident occurred.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
This is heartbreaking 💔. Monsoon tourism needs better safety measures. That bridge was clearly overloaded with tourists. Authorities should have restricted entry knowing it's an old structure during heavy rains. My prayers with the victims' families.
P
Priya M.
Why do we wait for tragedies to happen before inspecting infrastructure? Every monsoon we see similar incidents across Maharashtra. Regular bridge audits should be mandatory, especially before rainy season. Kudos to NDRF teams working in dangerous conditions though!
A
Amit S.
Tourists need to be more responsible too. When you see a bridge shaking/swaying, why take selfies instead of getting off immediately? Saw videos where people were casually walking even when it was clearly unstable. Safety awareness is equally important.
S
Sunita P.
The real heroes are the local fishermen who jumped in immediately before NDRF arrived. Maharashtra needs more disaster-ready infrastructure in tourist spots. Hope the government builds a proper new bridge with proper capacity assessment this time.
V
Vikram J.
While the CM's response is prompt, we need answers: 1) When was this bridge last inspected? 2) Was there any warning sign about capacity limits? 3) Why no crowd control on a Sunday during monsoon? Accountability must be fixed beyond just compensation announcements.
N
Neha R.
So tragic 😢 My cousin was there yesterday and said the bridge was shaking even then. Locals say this bridge had issues for years but no action. Hope this wakes up authorities across India - our infrastructure maintenance culture needs urgent improvement.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50