Eight people – including three children – have been killed and many others remain injured after a tragic bridge collapse in Indonesia.
The most recent report (BBC) says that 30 people have been injured, but earlier reports (News Corp) state that 42 people were injured, so figures are currently unclear.
The suspension bridge, which acted as a connector of two islands, collapsed without warning while a large number of local people were travelling across it to take part in a religious ceremony.
The bridge connects the islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, which lie off the south-east coast of Bali.
Photo: BBC.
The bridge, which collapsed at around 6:30pm local time (approximately 9:30pm AEDT), was carrying motorbikes and pedestrians, who were on their way to a Hindu ceremony at a local temple.
Witnesses have said that while the water below wasn’t deep, but the fatalities and injuries were caused by victims being crushed by debris.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a disaster agency spokesman, told AFP,
“Before the bridge collapsed it was already shaking. Some motorcyclists and people fell into the sea, and people in the area immediately tried to save them.”
A British tour operator, Andrew Sutherland, told the BBC that it was the only bridge connecting the islands:
“It’s been there for about 30 years and it is quite a rickety bridge. It’s only used for a few people to cross at the same time, normally motorbikes, nothing more than that.Unfortunately today was a very large ceremony for the local population and a large amount of people were crossing the bridge when it did collapse.”
The deceased and injured are all reported to be locals, and officials say searches are still ongoing.
Source: BBC.
Photo: Twitter / @WartaBali.
