The footbridge was located at Old Munnar near High Range Club across the Muthirapuzha river. The bridge was swept away on August 16 as rain intensified across Kerala, giving rise to unprecedented floods.
The original bridge here had been built by the British when the colonial masters were setting up tea estates in the hilly region. It was initially a hanging bridge meant to connect Chokkanad estate and Old Munnar. Later, concrete slabs were laid over steel girders. This bridge was in a precarious condition for long after the girders corroded.
On November 7, 1987, 14 school kids were killed when the same bridge collapsed. It was subsequently rebuilt in 1989.
The 1987 tragedy occurred when several students of Old Munnar Government High School gathered on the bridge to witness a helicopter landing on the ground of the High Range Club. The bridge gave away as the children moved to one side of the bridge to get a good view of its landing and several students drowned in the river.
