Bridges in Genoa, Mexico, India… Deadliest bridge collapse in 20 years

2021: 26 killed in Mexico

On May 3, a metro train in Mexico City derailed after an air bridge collapsed in the municipality of Tlahuac, one of the capital’s poorest cities, killing 26 people and injuring 80, most of them workers and commuters.

The construction of this line has been marred by controversy over budget overruns and several technical failures.

2018: 43 killed in Italy

On August 14, the highway bridge crossing Genoa (northwest) partially collapsed (some about 250 meters), dragging vehicles and passengers: 43 killed.

A mega-trial opened in July. According to the judge’s investigation “between the inauguration of (the Morandi bridge) in 1967 and its collapse – therefore 51 years later -, minimal maintenance intervention was not carried out to strengthen the supporting cables for pillar number 9”, which collapsed on the day of the tragedy.

2016: at least 26 people killed in Calcutta

On March 31, in India, the collapse of an overpass in Calcutta killed at least 26 people. Rescue teams pulled nearly 100 injured people from piles of concrete and blocks caused by the collapse of this elevated section of the urban road.

2011: Disaster in India

On October 23, in India, a bridge collapsed under the weight of passersby during a festival near the city of Darjeeling (northeast), killing at least 32 people.

Less than a week later, about 30 people died in the collapse of a pedestrian bridge spanning a river in the state of Arunachal Pradesh (northeast).

2007: Nepal and China

On August 13, in China, 64 people were killed and 22 injured in a bridge collapse in Hunan province (center). The 328 meter long work has just been completed.

In Nepal, on December 25, a bridge packed with pilgrims en route to a religious festival collapsed, killing at least 16 people and 25 missing. At the time of the crash, nearly 400 people were in the building crossing the Bheri River gorge, 380 km west of the capital Kathmandu. About a hundred people managed to swim back to shore.

2006: Pakistan and India

On August 5, in Pakistan, at least 40 people were killed and many missing after the collapse of a bridge in Mardan, 50 km from Peshawar, in the northwest of the country hit by intense monsoon rains.

In India, on December 2, 34 people died when a 150-year-old bridge collapsed on a passenger train at a station in the eastern state of Bihar.

2003: India and Bolivia

On August 28, in India, 20 people including 19 children were killed when a bridge collapsed in Daman (west), causing a school bus and four other vehicles to fall into a river.

In Bolivia, on December 24, sudden flooding from the Chaparé river (center) destroys a bridge as a bus crosses it. 29 passengers died.

Serena Hoyles

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