The floating bridge at Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram will be open to the public only after a safety assessment by a team of experts from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kozhikode. The NIT team is expected to visit the place in the coming week. A portion of the bridge collapsed on Saturday in strong currents, inflicting minor injuries to around 15 people. All the injured people were discharged from the hospital on Saturday and Sunday, except for two who are likely to be discharged on Monday, said officials.
According to a preliminary assessment conducted by the officials to ascertain the cause of the accident, it has been found that the sea has been mildly rough since 4 p.m. The lifeguards deputed in the area had brought this to the attention of the staff deputed by the private operator of the floating bridge. However, there were no major strong waves during the period. It was a strong wave, which lashed the bridge at 4.31 p.m., that led to chaotic scenes with tourists moving en masse to the opposite side of the floating bridge.
Following this, the handrail of the bridge broke down, and the people fell into the sea in the impact of the waves, said officials from the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS). A report was given to the Tourism Director soon after the accident. A detailed guideline is already in place for the operation of the floating bridges in seven districts in the State. In the preliminary assessment, the guidelines seemed to have not been diligently followed here with the heavy rush of tourists on the occasion of the Shivarathri festival.
A senior-level meeting to be chaired by Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas will take a call on the steps to be taken to ensure the safety of people visiting the bridge before resuming operations. The report by the Tourism Director is expected to be submitted on Monday, said the officials. The floating bridge at Papanasam Beach, the seventh floating bridge in the state, was opened in December 2023, under the Department of Tourism in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council and KATPS.
