More than two dozen people were injured after a footbridge over a stream in Mexico collapsed while it was being inaugurated by the Mayor of Cuernavaca. The mayor, Jose Luis Uriostegui, and his wife were also injured in the incident. According to a report in The Guaridan, eight people suffered serious injuries and had broken bones. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
The video shows a large group of people making their way on the bridge. In the blink of an eye, the bridge gives way, sending everyone crashing about 10 feet below on to rocks and boulders in the stream bed.
In a statement, the Cuernavaca city government said four city council members, two other city officials and a local reporter were seriously injured and had to be extracted on stretchers. They have been admitted to local hospitals. The mayor had "light injuries and is out of danger", the statement said.
The incident took place in Parque Barranca de Amanalco, one of the most visited parks in Cuernavaca and a popular weekend getaway destination.
The Guardian report said the hanging bridge, made of wooden boards and metal chains, was renovated recently. The video of the collapse shows the boards separated from the chains supporting them.
A report in Mexico News Daily said that "a young man was seen jumping on the suspension bridge" before the incident. The report said the large contingent of officials and journalists on the bridge during the inauguration might have exceeded its planned capacity.