Pune River Horror: Bridge Collapse Sweeps Away 20 Lives, Ignites Outcry Over Safety Gaps

Panic in Dehu: Leisure Trip Turns Fatal

Pune River Horror- What was meant to be a quiet Sunday evening by the riverside turned into a nightmare as a footbridge in Dehu, near Pune, collapsed around 6:30 PM on June 16, sweeping away an estimated 15 to 20 individuals into the raging waters of the Indrayani River. The victims, reportedly a group of tourists including women and children, were clicking photos on the bridge when its iron frame suddenly gave way, sending them plunging into the monsoon-fed torrent.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and disbelief as onlookers scrambled to throw ropes and tree branches to those flailing in the water. Local residents rushed to the scene before emergency services arrived, but powerful currents made rescue efforts perilous. The bridge, which connected a frequently visited pilgrimage path in Dehu, had allegedly not been structurally audited or restricted despite warnings about rising water levels in recent days.

Officials from the Pune District Collectorate confirmed that a multi-agency rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire brigade teams, and local police has been deployed. As of this writing, two bodies have been recovered, with a frantic search underway for the missing.

Crumbling Confidence: Infrastructure Under Scrutiny Again

This tragic incident is yet another grim reminder of India’s brittle infrastructure, especially in monsoon-prone states like Maharashtra. The footbridge, a narrow structure reportedly lacking proper railings or load capacity limits, had been flagged multiple times by local villagers and NGOs. However, no repairs or access controls had been implemented.

With rainfall intensifying due to a deepening depression in the Arabian Sea, rivers like the Indrayani have seen sudden surges in water levels over the past week. In such conditions, authorities had issued general advisories but failed to cordon off vulnerable zones like the Dehu pedestrian bridge a lapse now seen as criminally negligent.

Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar visited the site late Sunday night and ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. “We will identify the lapses and take immediate corrective action. Public safety cannot be compromised,” he stated. Meanwhile, the district administration has promised compensation to families of the victims and urged citizens to avoid low-lying areas and riverbanks in the coming days.

Pune River Horror – Grief and Anger Ripple Across Maharashtra

As visuals of the collapse circulated across social media, public sentiment swiftly turned from sorrow to anger. Hashtags like #PuneBridgeCollapse and #IndrayaniTragedy began trending on Twitter/X, with users questioning why vulnerable infrastructure is still accessible to the public during extreme weather events. Activists and opposition leaders demanded accountability from civic bodies and the Maharashtra state government.

“What good is a rescue operation after the damage is done? Where was the pre-emptive action? Why was this bridge open to tourists in peak monsoon?” asked one netizen. Many pointed to previous incidents like the 2022 Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat and the Elphinstone stampede in Mumbai as signs that India’s infrastructure risk assessments remain reactive rather than preventive.

Local vendors and shopkeepers near the Dehu area described the aftermath as “haunting.” One tea stall owner said, “We told tourists to get off the bridge; the river was too high. But the authorities never stopped anyone from going. Now we are watching their families cry by the river.”

The tragedy has cast a pall over what is usually a season of pilgrimage and natural beauty in the Dehu region, home to temples and scenic riverside walks. Spiritual tourism had picked up pace over the weekend, only to now be mired in sorrow.

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