Hardly two-and-a-half months after the inauguration of a floating bridge at Papanasam Beach, near Varkala, in Thiruvananthapuram, a portion of it collapsed on Saturday. At least 15 people, including women and children, were injured in the accident, the police said. Of the injured, the condition of two is said to be critical as per initial reports, said the police.
According to the police, the handrail of the bridge broke in the strong waves around 5.30 p.m. As the waves pounded the bridge, the people on it fell into the sea. Though all the people had worn life jackets, they could not swim to safety due to the turbulent sea. Lifeguards and security personnel rescued all and rushed them to the taluk hospital in Varkala and the nearby private hospitals.
