Pune, June 15 - At least two people died as an iron bridge over Indrani river collapsed in Maval tehsil of Pune, Maharashtra this afternoon, while the administration has claimed to have rescued 38 people.
Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi said that 38 people have been rescued so far in the accident, out of which 30 have been admitted to the hospital. He said that the exact number of people present at the time of the bridge collapse is being assessed. He said, "We are also finding out how many people are missing."
According to the information received, the bridge was damaged and prima facie it seems that it broke due to many people standing on the bridge and the accident occurred.
An official at Talegaon Dabhade police station said that the incident took place in Kundmala area, where heavy rains have been falling for the past few days, causing the river to flow rapidly. He said that it was not raining when the bridge collapsed. “According to initial information, two people have died while some others are feared to have been swept away,” he said. The official said that a team of the National Disaster Response Force and personnel of other specialist units including the fire brigade are at the scene. Since it was Sunday, there was a huge crowd here. The police officer said that this area is frequented by picnickers.