25 injured after bridge collapses during re-opening in Mexico

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA)- Around 25 people were wounded after a hanging bridge in El Paseo Ribereno, a tourist attraction in Cuernavaca, Morelos, collapsed during a re-inauguration ceremony.

Mayor to Cuernavaca Jose Luis Uriostegui Salgado and his wife, along with members of his staff and City Hall employes, were among those injured with some suffering broken bones and mild head injuries from the collapse on Tuesday.

According to Enrique Clement Gallardo, head of the state's Civil Protection Department, an investigation is underway.

It is unknown whether structural flaws caused the bridge to collapse or if the restoration work was insufficient.

Work to restore the sightseeing tour started after authorities determined that the tourist attraction had sustained structural damage after an earthquake in 2017.

Preliminary reports indicate that the collapse was caused by excess weight, which the suspenders could not withstand.

Videos on social media show a man in black jumping on the bridge while the crowd was crossing before it collapsed.

"It was an imprudence of someone who started to jump, it (the bridge) did not resist the weight, and we fell. Some have fractures and bruises, but fortunately, there are no serious injuries," Urióstegui Salgado said outside a hospital when many of the injured were taken.

"I am more interested in the health of the people who were injured and are still hospitalized. It is not my intention to file a complaint. I did not even want to watch the video because it is really dramatic what we experienced," he added.

No one has been arrested or charged in the incident.