Thiruvananthapuram: Fifteen people, including women and children, fell into the sea and sustained injuries after the handrail of the floating bridge they were on collapsed due to high tidal waves at Varkala beach here. Though all of them were wearing life jackets, they could not swim to the shore due to the strong waves.
Lifeguards and security personnel rescued them and brought them back to the shore. Those injured were immediately shifted to the Varkala Taluk Hospital. As per reports, the condition of two persons is critical. The incident happened on Saturday evening.
Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas inaugurated the district's first floating bridge on December 26, 2023. The one in Varkala is the seventh floating bridge in the state. The sea bridge is 100 metres long and three metres wide from the coast to the sea.
Around 100 people can walk on the bridge at a time. The bridge is held in place by anchors weighing 700 kg. Entry is from 11 am to 5 pm. The bridge was installed in collaboration with the District Tourism Promotion Council, Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society and Varakala Municipality.
