KANHANGAD: Two girls died and 22 injured after a hanging bridge collapsed at Panathur, 45 km from here, on Monday.
The deceased are Aiswarya, 9, daughter of Sajan, and Jilu Varghese, 19, daughter of Varghese of Iritty. The deceased and the injured were part of a funeral procession. The tragedy struck around 2.45 p.m. when the funeral procession was on its way to the cemetery of the St Mary’s Church, Panathur. According to eyewitnesses, one side of the hanging bridge over the Pavithram Kayam river in Panathur went askew when about 40 participants of the funeral procession entered the bridge.
The body, which was at the rear end of the procession, did not fall into the river.
The body of Chacko, who died of cancer on Sunday, was later buried at the St Mary’s Church.
One of the deceased girls was a relative of Chacko, while the other was his neighbour.
Local people and the personnel of the Fire and Rescue Services f rom Kanhangad rushed to the spot and conducted rescue operations.
The local people fished out the two bodies from the deep parts of the river and pulled out others and rushed them to hospitals.
Eyewitnesses said the bridge was used only by the local people who crossed it in small numbers. The bridge was used to cross the river as the St Mary’s Church is located nearby.
The seriously injured were admitted to the District Hospital in Kanhangad while others were treated at the PHCs in Panathady and Koodamkal. The seriously injured are Mary, 5, Kalichamaram; Eliyamma, 60, Panathur; Mary, 40, Panathur; Mary ,50, Iritty; Jolly, 35, Kalichamaram; Jolly Varghese, 50, Panathur; Mary, 67, Iritty; Lila, 50, and Salina, 41, both from Kuravangad.
Kasargod District Collector Anand Singh, District Police Superintendent P Prakash, DySP Josy Cheriyan and Circle Inspector P Balakrishnan supervised the rescue operations.
Political leaders and elected representatives of local bodies visited the spot and the injured at the hospital.