Indonesia: Bridge collapse in Bali kills at least 9

Rescue operation came to a halt at night due to low light conditions.

Picture for representation
Picture for representation Picture for representation

Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) said at least nine people including three children died after a bridge collapsed in Bali on 16 October.

The deceased children were aged three, six and nine.

It was reported that around 30 people were injured in the mishap. However, rescue operations came to a halt at night due to low light conditions and were resumed only in the morning, said the BNPB, according to the Straits Times.

According to the disaster management agency, the suspension bridge, which links Nusa Lembongan island and Nusa Ceningan island collapsed at around 6.30pm (7.30pm Singapore time).

The two small islands off the southeast coast of Bali started gaining popularity in recently due to its remote beaches and rustic villages, reported the news agency.

Among the locals and tourists, the bridge went by the name of "Yellow Bridge" and was heavily packed on Sunday as crowds were performing a ceremony to commemorate Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, said BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

"Before the collapse, (the bridge) was rocking...Some residents in the location immediately tried to save the victims, some of whom were able to swim to shore," he added.

According to Reuters, police officer Arendra Wahyudi said the sea beneath the bridge was less than two metres deep and when the bridge collapsed, people along with motorbikes fell in the water. Victims were mostly killed after they got crushed by debris, he added.

The BNPB reported that all victims were local residents and no foreigners were hurt in the accident but they could not come up with an exact count of people who fell in the water.

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