A tragic incident occurred in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Sunday, where an old bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed in the Kundmala area, resulting in the death of six individuals and leaving several others seriously injured. The incident took place amid heavy monsoon rains that have been lashing the region for the past four days.
According to officials, a large number of tourists had gathered on the bridge to witness the river’s swollen flow, as Sunday being a holiday saw increased footfall in the area. The bridge, reportedly a decades-old structure, gave way under the excessive weight of the crowd. Preliminary reports suggest that continuous rainfall had weakened the foundation of the bridge, contributing to its collapse.
Local police and disaster response teams launched immediate rescue operations upon receiving information. Eyewitnesses said that the structure could not bear the load due to both its age and the number of people standing on it at the time of the incident.
The Kundmala area is a popular monsoon tourist destination, especially during weekends. However, allegations have emerged that no safety measures were in place to regulate the flow of visitors or to assess the condition of the ageing infrastructure. Locals have criticised authorities for not removing or reinforcing the old bridge despite repeated warnings about its deteriorating condition.
An investigation into the incident is currently underway, and the state government is expected to announce compensation for the victims’ families.