Daijiworld Media Network - Pune

Pune, Jun 15: A leisure trip turned into a nightmare on Sunday as a bridge over the Indrayani River in Pune’s Kundmala area suddenly collapsed, leaving several people, most of them tourists, missing and feared drowned.

The incident occurred in the Maval taluka of Pune district, where the decades-old bridge gave way under the weight of heavy foot traffic. Eyewitnesses say the structure crumbled without warning, sending an estimated 25 to 30 individuals into the rain-swollen river below.

Preliminary reports suggest that at least six people have drowned. Eight others were rescued in time, while two women remain trapped beneath debris from the collapsed structure, according to local officials.

Dramatic visuals from the scene show the bridge torn apart at several points directly above the river, with rescue teams navigating treacherous currents in an urgent effort to find the missing. Personnel from the police, fire department, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed as part of a large-scale search and rescue operation.

The disaster was worsened by torrential rainfall over the past two days, which has led to dangerously high water levels in the Indrayani River. Authorities believe the structural failure may have been hastened by both the heavy rains and excessive overcrowding on the bridge.

Kundmala, a scenic monsoon hotspot near Lonavala, attracts a surge of tourists every weekend — a factor that likely contributed to the bridge being packed beyond capacity at the time of the incident.

Officials have launched an inquiry into the collapse, and questions are already being raised about the bridge’s safety and maintenance status.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, and authorities have urged people to avoid the area until further notice.