15 injured as hanging bridge snaps at Kerala

About 15 people were injured after a hanging bridge at the tourist spot Wagamon in Idukki district, Kerala, collapsed on Saturday.

The hanging bridge, which is also called Burma Bridge, made using rope was at Kolahalameddu, about six kilometres from Wagamon town. It is part of an adventure tourism project. Though the project was formally inaugurated recently, the rides were not officially opened to the public.

According to local sources, a team of tourist from a Sunday School at Angamaly in Ernakulam district were injured. It included a priest also. Overload on one side of the bridge was said to be the cause of the mishap. There were around 25 people on the bridge at the time of the mishap, which occurred around 1 pm.

The Wagamon police said that even as the bridge was not formally inaugurated, tourists entered it defying the warnings of security personnel.

In the wake of the mishap, the bridge has been closed and it will be opened to the public only after the mandatory safety checks are completed.

Wagamon is known for its green meadows and pine forests and is a much sought after tourist destination for both domestic and foreign tourists.