Three people have been killed after a pedestrian bridge collapsed in Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier this month.
On Saturday (September 24th), an elevated bridge in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, fell down while people were crossing, which is thought to have been caused by heavy rain and strong winds.
As well as killing three women, the accident left eight injured, some of whom were walking along the bridge and some who were underneath it at the time of the collapse. They were taken to Tarakan Hospital and Siaga Raya Hospital where they were treated for their wounds, the Jakarta Post reported.
Depok deputy mayor Pradi Supriatna said the structure had “not been well maintained” and that Jakarta governor Basuki ‘Ahok’ Tjahaja Purnama should take responsibility for the deaths.
The news provider reporting him as saying: “We also want the police to investigate the possibility of human error in the inspection and maintenance of public facilities that have caused fatalities.”
The Jakarta Transportation Agency claims it has set aside over Rp nine million (£533,347) to help maintain and improve 61 pedestrian bridges in Jakarta.
Despite this, chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation Tulus Abadi has called for thorough examinations of all pedestrian bridges in the city. This comes after two people were killed by an electric shock on a pedestrian bridge in North Jakarta’s Mangga Dua.
Last month, a bridge collapsed on the M20 in England during the August Bank Holiday. Fortunately, there were no fatalities as a result of the accident, and it only left one motorcyclist with suspected broken ribs.
For advice on expansion joint installation to connect two structures together for the free flow of traffic and to avoid bridge collapses, visit the Freyssinet website today.