Goa bridge tragedy: 2 die after 50 fall into Sanvordem river at Churchorem village

At least two persons died and 30 went missing after a Portuguese-era bridge over Sanvordem river in south Goa collapsed on Thursday evening, the police said. Around 50 people fell into Sanvordem river at Curchorem village in south Goa on Thursday evening as a dilapidated footbridge from the Portuguese-era collapsed, media reports said. While some have been rescued many are missing.

“While the rescue teams have recovered two bodies from the river so far, at least 30 people are still missing. Some of those who fell into the river, managed to swim ashore,” the police said.

Goa: Around 50 people fall into river after footbridge collapses in South Goa's Curchorem, rescue operations underway, more details awaited pic.twitter.com/4dvosNCkcg

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2017

According to Times Now, 12 people have been rescued but many are still missing.

Incidentally, those who fell in the river had gathered to witness a rescue attempt. A report in India.com  said that a boy had attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the river and when rescue fire and emergency services tried to rescue the boy, around 50 people had gathered to witness it. That is when the bridge gave away and all of them fell into the river.

“Around 50 people had gathered on the bridge to watch the rescue operation, and all of them fell into the river as it collapsed,” a police official said.

Some of those who had fallen into the river, however, had managed to swim to the shore,  India Today  said.

The Indian Navy has been requested to assist in the rescue operations and the divers have rushed to the spot. The fire and emergency services have begun the search operation.

Meanwhile, Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over the bridge collapse incident.

“Spoke to Goa CM Shri @manoharparrikar regarding the bridge collapse on Sanvordem river. Search and rescue ops have been intensified,” Singh tweeted.

In 2016, another bridge across the Savitri River on the Mumbai-Goa highway, which belonged to the British era, collapsed taking the lives of a few people.

With inputs from PTI