A pedestrian bridge spanning the Indrayani River near Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district collapsed on Sunday afternoon, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to 51. One person remains missing as of Monday morning. The structure, more than 30 years old and located at Bhegdewadi near Kundmala, gave way under crowd pressure, exposing long-standing administrative lapses and failure to act on repeated warnings from residents and officials.
According to eyewitnesses and police officials, the incident occurred around 12:30 PM on Sunday when more than 100 people, along with several two-wheelers, crowded the narrow bridge. Survivor Umakant Dalvi recounted, “The bridge was so crowded that there was no room to move. There were also some bikes on it. Suddenly, it began shaking and then collapsed. Everyone panicked and tried to run.”
Rescue efforts led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with local police, fire brigade, and volunteers, continued till early Monday. Cranes and divers were deployed to retrieve trapped victims and bodies from the swollen Indrayani River.
Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey confirmed that rescue operations were paused late Sunday night and resumed Monday morning to trace one missing individual.
The bridge connected Talegaon and Dehu and was used by pedestrians, pilgrims, and local commuters. It collapsed at around 12:30 PM, when over 100 people were reportedly on the bridge. Measuring 470 feet long and only four feet wide, it was never intended to carry such foot traffic or any vehicles. The structure included a stone approach of 70–80 feet, followed by two rusted iron spans of about 100 feet each, and a central 200-foot concrete slab. With age, weathering, and weekend crowds rising each year, the bridge’s condition had deteriorated.
Despite the risk, the bridge remained open during peak monsoon footfall. Authorities acknowledged that it had not undergone a structural audit in years. Makeshift cement blocks were placed over damaged sections, which became slippery during rains. Minor accidents had occurred earlier, but no comprehensive repair or closure was initiated. Local residents had raised concerns over safety for years, with formal appeals starting as early as 2017.
Former MLA Digambardada Bhegde had written to the state government and Public Works Department (PWD) urging replacement of the bridge, citing the danger to schoolchildren, farmers, and workers. In 2022, villagers submitted fresh letters asking for a structural audit and weekend restrictions. No action followed. In 2023, a repair allocation of ₹80,000 was approved by BJP MLA Ravindra Chavan, now a minister. The funds were not used and no repair work took place.
Crowd management at the site was minimal. A signboard warning of capacity limits was installed, but no barricades or enforcement measures were in place. Police deployment was irregular. Only one constable was posted on Saturdays; Sundays saw no fixed deployment. On Sunday, a resident reportedly called police to alert them of overcrowding. Police cleared the bridge temporarily but left shortly after. The crowd returned, and the bridge soon began to sway. Survivor Umakant Dalvi recalled, “The bridge was so crowded that there was no room to move. There were also some bikes on it. Suddenly, it began shaking and then collapsed. Everyone panicked and tried to run.”
When the bridge gave way, dozens fell into the Indrayani River, swollen due to recent rains. Amol, a survivor, said he clung to a pipe for nearly 15 minutes before managing to reach the bank. Onlookers helped rescue others using ropes and wooden poles. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Pimpri Chinchwad police, fire brigade, and volunteers began rescue operations within minutes. Cranes were used to lift debris from the river.
Among the dead were Chandrakant Sathle, Rohit Mane, and Vihan Mane. One body is yet to be identified. Eight of the 51 injured were discharged by Monday; eight others remain critical. Search for the missing individual is ongoing. The Pune district administration has announced ₹5 lakh compensation to the families of those deceased.
Built in the early 1990s, the bridge was under the jurisdiction of the Pune Zilla Parishad. PWD officials confirmed it had surpassed its structural lifespan and had been deemed unfit, but was never formally closed. The state government had approved ₹8 crore for a new bridge, with work scheduled post-monsoon. However, no interim action was taken to close or limit access to the existing one.
Minister of Disaster Management Girish Mahajan admitted that the collapse resulted from overloading and inaction. “The crowd was well beyond capacity. There were warnings, but they were ignored,” he said at a briefing on Monday. His comment has added to public criticism about poor planning and repeated inaction despite documented warnings.
Experts point out that this incident is not isolated. Across Maharashtra, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas, many aging low-capacity bridges remain operational without adequate audits or maintenance. The lack of zonal disaster response plans for high-footfall areas during monsoon season has emerged as an important concern.
District Collector Jitendra Dudi has appointed a five-member inquiry committee to examine the incident, review repair fund use, and identify procedural failures. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, visited the area and announced a statewide audit of similar structures. Shinde added that maintenance protocols and safety enforcement would be re-evaluated.
In the aftermath, there is a requirement of widespread deployment of advanced assessment systems like the GABM (Global Analytics for Bridge Management) tool to avert such tragedies. Developed to mitigate risks associated with natural and structural hazards, the software offers a scientific, data-driven approach to evaluating bridge vulnerability. By integrating climate data, load analysis, and environmental stressors, GABM quantifies the probability and severity of risks such as flooding, overloading, corrosion, and seismic activity — factors that often go unchecked in aging structures.
If implemented proactively in semi-urban and rural areas, GABM can help identify bridges that are susceptible to collapse due to natural and usage-based deterioration. Experts argue that if a GABM-led risk profile had been conducted on the Talegaon bridge, the cumulative warnings , including reduced load capacity, poor surface conditions, and structural fatigue, would have flagged the urgent need for closure and replacement. Its integration into state-level infrastructure policy could serve as a blueprint for extending the service life of aging bridges and ensuring the safety of daily commuters.
The collapse has brought renewed attention to Maharashtra’s aging rural infrastructure. In many semi-urban areas, pedestrian bridges built decades ago remain in daily use without audits, reinforcements, or load control. Increased tourism and population growth have placed additional strain on these outdated structures, often without any matching investment in public safety.
As rescue operations conclude and investigations proceed, residents are questioning the repeated failures that led to the tragedy. A Talegaon-based civic activist stated, “This wasn’t just a failure of a bridge — it was a failure of every system meant to prevent such a disaster.”
Unless policies require regular audits, crowd control, and proper use of repair funds, the Talegaon collapse will remain another example of official neglect. The bridge is now shut, but the damage is already done.
We are closely monitoring this developing story. Once the detailed investigation report is released, we will provide an in-depth follow-up.
Stay tuned and keep watching this space for further updates.
Image source- bbc.com
