Four people lost their lives and 18 others sustained serious injuries after an old iron bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed on Sunday afternoon in the Kundamala area of Pune’s Maval tehsil.

According to the district administration, the incident occurred around 3.30 PM. The area had witnessed heavy rainfall in recent days, swelling the river’s flow, though it was not raining at the time of the collapse. At least 100 picnickers were reportedly present when the bridge gave way.

“Two bodies were recovered from beneath the collapsed structure and two others succumbed to injuries during treatment after being rescued,” said Pradeep Rayannawar, senior inspector at Talegaon Dabhade police station. He added that one more person is feared trapped under the debris and rescue efforts are ongoing.

A total of 38 people were rescued, of whom 18 suffered serious injuries. The injured have been admitted to three different hospitals for treatment, the administration confirmed.

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In response to the tragedy, the Maharashtra state government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased. Rescue operations continue at the site, as authorities investigate the structural failure of the decades-old bridge.

According to local media reports, the bridge was under heavy load due to the weekend crowd when it collapsed.

Three persons were rescued so far following the incident which occurred near Kundamala area in Maval tehsil, police said.
NDRF teams are conducting rescue operations at the spot, an official said.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that some people are trapped after the iron bridge collapsed. “It is possible that some people have been swept away. We have not yet received any confirmation of casualties in this regard. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to talk about this now. I will give information about this only after getting complete information. Right now, the administration is trying its best to provide relief to the people,” Fadnavis added.