The mayor of the Mexican city of Cuernavaca proudly unveiled a footbridge over a scenic stream on Tuesday when the bridge collapsed, throwing him and about two dozen others into a ravine.
The suspension bridge of wooden planks and metal chains has recently been rebuilt. The video of the collapse suggests that the boards are separated from the chains that support them.
Mayor Jose Luis Uriostegi. Photo: Jose Luis Uriostegi Salgado / Facebook
Local officials, including city council members, fell about 3 meters on rocks and boulders in the streambed.
Cuauhtemoc Blanco, governor of the state of Morelos, where Cuernavaca is located, said Mayor Jose Luis Uriostegi’s wife and reporters were among those on the bridge when it fell.
The Cuernavaca city government said in a statement that four city council members, two other city officials and a local reporter were injured and had to be pulled from a gorge on a stretcher and taken to local hospitals. There was no immediate information about their condition.
The city said Mayor Jose Luis Uriostegi was taken to hospital with “minor injuries and is out of danger”.
The squeezing of officials and journalists on the bridge during the opening may have exceeded the planned capacity.
Cae alcalde de Cuernavaca, José Luis Urióstegui y suposa durante la reinauguración del paso Rivereño en Amanalco, el puente colgante se rompió, también están lesionados regidores y la Síndico.
– Nueve Morelos (@TelevisaMorelos) June 7, 2022
Cuernavaca, located south of Mexico City, has long been a weekend getaway for residents of the capital due to the abundance of water and mild climate.
The bridge was part of a river walk on one of the many streams in the city. Cuernavaca has undergone explosive growth and has largely neglected or polluted many of its waterways. The walk along the river was intended to be part of the revival of the city’s natural landmarks.
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