One step ahead and I fell into the river and died: the bridge collapse survivor. Bharat News

Pune: This was a narrow migration for advocate Nilesh Kholem and his family. They were a few feet from an iron bridge over the collapse of Indryani river on Sunday afternoon.“I had survived the jaw of death. If I was just one step ahead, I would have been one of the victims,” ​​Kholem told TOI.Four people died, and one was reported missing after the iron bridge fell on the river at around 3.30 pm on Sunday.According to the district administration, at least 50 people have been injured in the incident. Eight of the injured are in critical condition and are being treated in the ICU.Kholem, a resident of Shivajinagar, met Kund Mala for a weekend with his wife, brother and sister -in -law. The family reached the area around 2 pm and spent some time before moving towards the bridge.Recalling the afternoon horror, Kholm said that a person was among those standing next to the bike and a senior citizen who fell into the river after the structure collapsed.He said, “As soon as the bridge collapsed, we went back to save our lives. My wife was completely shocked and could not process what had happened,” he said.Kholm said that local villagers ran to help those who fell into the river and survived as much as they want.He said, “Many people, including young children, were running in a terrible state to save their lives. I would never forget a terrible moment,” he said, some people managed to swim in security, while others were taken out on the spot by villagers and visitors.Kholm said that two to three bikes came from one side, while two more came from the opposite direction.“The bridge is narrow. It was a crowd with tourists, and there was no place to move. The arrival of four bikes made it even worse. Suddenly, the structure collapsed, and many fell into the river,” he said.Kholm and his brother managed to save two to three people who fell on the remains of the bridge.Another survivor, Umakant Dalvi, who came with a group of friends, shared a similar experience.He said, “I crossed the bridge and stood near the river to click on the pictures. The bridge suddenly fell, and I could not believe that I was standing on it a few moments ago,” he said.