An officer of the Varkala Police Station said that since everyone was wearing a life jacket, no casualties were reported.
Floating bridge in Varkala. (Screengrab)
An unfortunate scene unfolded at Papanasam Beach in Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram, on Saturday evening, 9 March. The recently-built floating bridge succumbed to the assault of a colossal wave, plunging several individuals who were standing on it into the sea.
A Varkala police station officer said that all the victims were successfully rescued. However, 13 people, including two children, sustained injuries during the accident.
None of the injured are in critical condition. A 14-year-old girl, however, is under observation, he said. The injured are being treated at the Mission Hospital and the Government Medical College, the officer said.
“The incident occurred at around 5 pm. As per eyewitness accounts, several people fell into the water after a huge wave hit the bridge. Everyone was wearing a life jacket and that’s why there were no casualties reported,” an officer of the Varkala Police Station told reporters.
A handrail of the floating bridge was also broken under the impact of the wave.
The police officer told South First that among those injured were natives of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kanpur, and Hyderabad. Three from Kadakkal in Kollam district and one from Kottayam district were also injured.
The officer said that there was a high tide due to adverse weather conditions and the floating bridge does not usually remain open to the public in such situations.
However, it was not closed this time, he said.
The police said that since the people standing on the floating bridge were wearing life jackets, they could be brought back to shore quickly, preventing any loss of life.
Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas has sought an urgent report on the incident from the Director of Tourism PB Nooh.
Minister Riyas inaugurated the floating bridge and water sports activities at Papanasam Beach on 25 December, 2023. The first-ever floating bridge in Thiruvananthapuram, it is 100 metres in length and 3 metres wide, with pillars on both sides.
The bridge was set up by the Department of Tourism in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council, Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society, and Varkala municipality.
At the end of the bridge, there is a platform that is 11 meters in length and seven meters in width which enables visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of the sea.
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