Four Dead, 18 Injured as Pedestrian Bridge Collapses in Pune; Rescue Ops in Full Swing

An old iron footbridge across the Indrayani River in Pune’s Maval tehsil crashed on Sunday afternoon, taking four people’s lives and injuring at least 18. The mishap occurred around 3:30 p.m. in the Kundamala region near Talegaon, where over 100 people had visited even after a warning sign forbidding two-wheelers and limiting walk-in traffic.

Police and authorities said the building’s collapse was caused by gross overcrowding and complacency of the public.”It was a pedestrian bridge only. There was a clear notice, but it went unnoticed,” said Maharashtra Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan, who toured the area. He confirmed that the state government has announced ₹5 lakh compensation to the families of the dead.

Two of the victims died on the spot, pinned under the rubble. Two others died in hospitals due to their injuries. Eighteen injured individuals are being treated at three different centers, officials stated.

The rescue work is being conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police, and fire brigade forces One person is still believed to be trapped beneath the collapsed structure. Cranes have been deployed to lift mangled parts of the bridge.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he had spoken to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and was monitoring the situation closely. “Deeply saddened by the tragic incident… NDRF teams rushed to the site and saved several lives with remarkable promptness,” Shah posted on X.

Officials said the Indrayani River had been flowing steadily due to recent rains, but there was no rainfall at the time of the collapse.

CM Fadnavis called the incident “deeply saddening” and said rescue operations were being carried out on a war footing. Minister Mahajan noted that a probe will be launched into the absence of police presence despite the known tourist footfall in the area.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident at Matheran in Raigad district, three tourists from Navi Mumbai went missing in Shorlate Lake. The group of ten had jumped into the lake during their visit. Search operations are underway.