New Delhi: A nine-year-old girl died and 61 people, including several children were injured after a footbridge collapsed during Baisakhi celebration at Beni Sangam in Bain village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Friday, news agency ANI reported. Police and other teams have reached the accident spot and a rescue operation is underway, Dr Vinod, SSP Udhampur, said. Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) Ramesh Kumar said that the bridge collapsed due to overloading as a large number of people had gathered on it.
Manik Gupta, chairman of Chenani Municipality said, "At least 61 people were injured, including 20-25 who are critical. We have referred 6-7 people to District Hospital. The others are here in Chenani and are being looked after by the medical staff." "One girl has died in the hospital," Ramesh Kumar said.
In a similar incident, at least 43 persons were injured after a roof of a house collapsed in Khanetar village of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch on Thursday.
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According to reports, the incident took place when the villagers and relatives had assembled in the house of one of the residents of Khanetar to condole the death of his daughter when the roof of the house caved in.
Police officials said that all the injured were immediately rushed to nearby district hospital where they were provided medical treatment and most of the injured have been discharged after medical aid. They added that the injured are stable and out of danger.
This comes two days after 27 passengers were injured when a mini-bus they were travelling in overturned in the district on Tuesday. According to police, the bus was on its way to Surni from Ramnagar when the accident took place. Locals also rushed to the spot to help the passengers who were injured. All the injured have been admitted to sub-district hospital, Ramnagar, the police further added.