A tragic Sunday afternoon turned into a nightmare for families enjoying the monsoon rain when the bridge over the Indrayani river at Kundamala village collapsed, killing at least four people and injuring several others. The incident occurred around 3.30 pm when hundreds had gathered on the bridge to enjoy the rain.
Among the victims were Rohit Mane (35), and his 5-year-old son Vihan Mane, while Vihan’s mother Shamita Mane (32) survived with fractured legs and is undergoing treatment at Pawana Hospital near Somatne Phata.
The IT professional couple from Chinchwad had recently built their dream home and decided to spend their Sunday enjoying the monsoon rain with their young son.
“Being a weekend, they planned the outing,” said Sanjay Kadam, Vihan’s grandfather, his voice heavy with grief.
Little Vihan, who was about to start school on Monday, had his bright future cut tragically short.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Kadam, a school van driver from Chinchwad, said, “My grandson and son-in-law could have been saved if timely repair was done to the bridge. This is an unbearable loss… how will I break this news to my daughter who is undergoing treatment?”
Family, friends and neighbours remember Shamita and Rohit as hardworking professionals who had recently fulfilled their dream of building their own home. “They were such a happy family. Vihan was a bright child, always smiling. No one could’ve imagined this even in their wildest dreams,” said a teary-eyed family friend who did not want to be named.
