Outlook Business Desk
A decades-old pedestrian bridge, built in 1992, gave way under the weight of a crowd and a few two-wheelers. The incident left 4 people dead and 51 injured, triggering panic as several fell into the Indrayani River.
The incident happened around 3:30 pm on Sunday, when nearly 125 tourists and bikers had gathered at Kundmala in Pune’s Maval tehsil. The injured were taken to Pavana, MIMER and Atharva hospitals. Officials confirmed all 51 injured are now out of danger.
Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, local disaster units, Apada Mitras (trained disaster volunteers), a trekking group and fire brigades from Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) were deployed for rescue and relief efforts after the bridge collapse at Kundmala.
Maharashtra’s Water Resources and Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said the bridge gave way under heavy load, as nearly 300 tourists had crowded onto it—despite warnings to stay off the ageing structure.
According to several reports, recent heavy rains had increased the river’s flow, adding to the danger as the crowded bridge gave way.
Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi acknowledged prior alerts: “We had issued advisories and warnings to all the places that are dangerous for tourists, and this was one such place.” He added that an inquiry will be launched and action taken if any administrative lapses are found.
NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar said the bridge was old and talks of renovation had taken place but never materialised. He warned many such ageing bridges exist across Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey alleged that although ₹8 crore had been approved for the bridge, the money was never put to use, raising questions about oversight and accountability.