2 Dead After Bridge Collapses at Tourist Destination

NEED TO KNOW

• A bridge in the Pune district of India’s Maharashtra state that has become a popular tourist hotspot collapsed on June 15

• Two people have died and 32 people were injured, said Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra

• One resident claimed that tourists flock to the bridge every weekend

At least two people are dead and 32 injured following a bridge collapse in India, officials said.

The incident occurred on Sunday, June 15, over the Indrayani River in the Pune district of India’s Maharashtra state, the Associated Press, Sky News and BBC News reported.

In a Sunday social media post, Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra, confirmed the two fatalities from the collapse.

“My deepest condolences to their families. We share their grief in this difficult time. We stand with the bereaved families,” Fadnavis wrote.

He also added that a search operation is underway after some people were swept away, adding that “rescue operations are being done with full speed & efforts.”

“So far, 6 people have been rescued. 32 persons are injured, including 6 in critical condition, receiving treatment at hospitals,” Fadnavis further wrote.

The minister's post did not indicate a cause behind the incident.

Witnesses reported that several people were crossing the bridge when the collapse happened, per BBC News.

The area in the Pune district had recently seen heavy rain, the AP reported, citing the Press Trust of India. However, there was no rain at the time leading up to the incident.

According to Indian broadcaster NDTV, the 30-year-old pedestrian bridge was originally intended for local commuting, but it has become a popular tourist destination, especially on weekends.

"They come here in thousands,” Sagar, a local resident, told NDTV about the tourists. “On weekends, we couldn't even see the other side of the bridge because it was packed. It was always the same issue."

The office of the chief minister’s post on X stated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi contacted Fadnavis about the incident upon his arrival in Cyprus and “expressed deep grief over the incident.”

“He assured the state government of all possible assistance in the relief efforts,” per the office’ s statement.

The bridge collapse in Pune comes days after India has recently experienced twin aviation tragedies. On Thursday, June 12, a London-bound Air India crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad killing 241 people onboard the flight and leaving only one survivor.

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Then on Sunday, seven people were killed in a helicopter crash in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. The chopper was carrying visitors to several Hindu religious pilgrimage sites in the Himalayan mountains when it crashed during what would have been a 10-minute flight, per the BBC.

Poor weather conditions may have been the cause of the crash, officials said. 

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