One step and I would’ve fallen into river & died, says survivor

Pune: It was a narrow escape for advocate Nilesh Khollam and his family. They were just a few feet away from the iron bridge on the Indrayani River that collapsed on Sunday afternoon."I was saved from the jaws of death. If I was just one step ahead, I would have been one of the victims," Khollam told TOI.After a bridge collapsed around 3.30pm on Sunday over the Indrayani river near Talegaon, four people died, and one was reported missing. 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.Khollam, a resident of Shivajinagar, visited Kund Mala with his wife, brother and sister-in-law for a weekend outing. The family reached the area around 2 pm and spent some time taking photographs before heading toward the bridge.Recounting the afternoon horror, Khollam said a person standing just next to him on a bike and a senior citizen were among those who fell into the river after the structure collapsed. "As soon as the bridge collapsed, we rushed back to save our lives. My wife was in complete shock and could not process what had happened," he said.Khollam said local villagers rushed to help those who fell into the river and rescued as many as they could."Many people, including small children, were running in a state of panic to save their lives. I will never forget the horrifying moment," he said, adding that some people managed to swim to safety while others were pulled out by villagers and visitors at the spot. Khollam said two to three bikes came from one side while two more came from the opposite direction."The bridge is narrow. It was crowded with tourists, and there was no space to move. The arrival of four bikes made it worse. Suddenly, the structure collapsed, and many people fell into the river," he said.Khollam and his brother managed to rescue two to three people who fell onto the remains of the bridge. Another survivor, Umakant Dalvi, who came with a group of friends, shared a similar experience."I crossed the bridge and stood near the river to click photos. The bridge suddenly collapsed, and I could not believe I was standing on it just a few moments ago," he said.