Mexico City, Jun 9: The mayor of the Mexican city of Cuernavaca was proudly inaugurating a footbridge over a scenic stream Tuesday when the span collapsed, sending him and about two dozen other people plunging into a gully.
The hanging bridge made of wooden boards and metal chains had recently been remodelled.
Video of the collapse suggested the boards separated from the chains supporting them.
Local officials, including city council members, fell about 10 feet onto rocks and boulders in the streambed.
Mayor Jos Luis Uri stegui later said that some of the people accompanying him on the inaugural walk had been jumping on the bridge, perhaps in an attempt to make it sway.
There were a lot of people jumping. That was reckless, Uri stegui said.
The crush of officials and journalists on the bridge also may have exceeded its planned capacity, the mayor said.
There were more of us than there should have been there, he said.
The Cuernavaca city government said in a statement that four city council members, two other city officials and a local reporter were injured and had to be extracted on stretchers from the gully and were taken to local hospitals.
Uri stegui said none of the injuries were critical, and the worst involved a broken bone or a blow to the head.
Uri stegui himself was taken to a hospital with light injuries, but later spoke to reporters outside.
The Morelos state government said the hanging footbridge was not included in a 340,000 riverwalk construction program that started in 2021 and may have existed prior to that.
Cuernavaca, located just south of Mexico City, has long been a weekend getaway for capital residents due to its abundance of water and balmy climate.
The footbridge was part of a river walk along one of the city's many streams.
Cuernavaca has undergone explosive growth and has largely ignored or polluted many of its waterways. The river walk was intended to be part of a revival of the city's natural attractions.
Footbridge collapse during reopening ceremony in Mexico pic.twitter.com/Kn4X554Ydk
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Bajpe: Police have arrested a youth for allegedly posting derogatory and defamatory content against the Bajpe police on social media.
The arrested accused has been identified as Abhishek M. (23), a resident of Katipalla, Surathkal.
According to the police, Abhishek posted a photograph of Bajpe Nisarga Hotel on his Instagram account mr_a_titude_22, alleging that accused persons in a murder case under the jurisdiction of the Bajpe police station were being treated “like royalty” by the police and were being served beef meals from the hotel every day. In his post, he further accused the police of colluding with criminals and misusing their authority, stating that public trust in the police was being betrayed.
Following which, the Bajpe police registered a case and arrested the accused.
Police records reveal that Abhishek is already facing multiple criminal cases. A case of murder, attempt to murder, assault and robbery has been registered against him at the Surathkal police station. At the same time, a robbery case has also been registered at the Kaup police station.
After his arrest, Abhishek was handed over to the custody of the CEN police for further investigation. He was later produced before a court, police said.
