Police continue search operation at Pune bridge collapse site

Pune: Police on Monday continued the search operation at the site where an iron bridge collapsed on the Indrayani River in Pune district, even as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) called off its efforts. Four people died, and 18 were seriously injured when a 32-year-old bridge over the Indrayani River in Maval tehsil collapsed on Sunday afternoon. "Since all missing persons have been accounted for as per directions of the district administration, the search operation has been closed," an NDRF official said.

According to the authorities, the iron structure collapsed due to overcrowding by tourists who ignored the warning board at the spot. More than 100 people were on the bridge, a popular spot for tourists and picnickers, when it collapsed around 3.30 pm in Kundamala, which received heavy rains in the last few days, giving the river a steady flow, officials said. "While there is no possibility of anyone still being missing, as a precautionary step, we are continuing the search operation with the help of local rescue groups — Vanyajeev Rakshak Maval Sanstha and Shivdurg trekkers, just to see if anyone is trapped somewhere," said senior inspector Pradip Rayannawar of Talegaon Dabhade police station. He said five motorcycles fell into the river after the bridge collapsed, and the vehicle owners have been traced, and most of them were undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The official claimed police personnel were deployed near the bridge on Sunday as well. "Unfortunately, people coming to these areas don't adhere to warnings and instructions by the police and locals and risk their lives," he said. The district administration had on Sunday informed that 51 persons were rescued, and 18 of them sustained serious injuries and were admitted to three different three hospitals, while four died in the accident. According to Pune collector Jitendra Dudi, the bridge had been declared unsafe, but 100 people were on it, and most of them were busy taking selfies. "A committee will be formed to probe lapses, if any, on the part of the local administration and to check if standard operating procedures should have been implemented. The incident occurred despite warning signs and an existing order banning large gatherings in the area," he said. The bridge was declared unfit for vehicular traffic, while a new structure had been proposed for vehicles, Dudi said. Maharashtra Minister of Disaster Management Girish Mahajan, who was at the site monitoring rescue efforts on Sunday, said the bridge collapsed under the weight of a large number of tourists. "The bridge was meant for pedestrians only, and there was a warning board stating that it cannot be used by two-wheelers. It seems people on the bridge did not heed these instructions, which caused the incident," Mahajan had told reporters.