At least nine people have been killed when a suspension bridge collapsed - it was held in place by cables - after heavy rains in Sumatra, while another man is officially missing, Indonesia's national disaster management agency said today.
The accident happened yesterday Sunday as about 30 people, mostly young people, climbed this footbridge, over an inflated stream, in the Kaur area. Some were swept away by the rushing waters, others managed to escape.
The footbridge "probably could not support the weight and collapsed," Uzhang Xiafiri, head of disaster management, told AFP.
Many of the young people who were on the footbridge when it collapsed had gone to see the unusual sight, the same official told the Antara news agency.
Authorities are looking for another man who is missing within a 20-kilometer radius.
The area has been hit by heavy rains in recent days and the water had swelled a lot in the water current under the footbridge.
Indonesia has been hit by a wave of bad weather lately. At least 67 people have been killed since the beginning of January due to unusually heavy rainfall in Jakarta.
Building regulations and public works safety regulations are generally considered to be poorly observed in Indonesia and accidents of this kind are quite common.
Source: politis