A pedestrian bridge in Santos Reyes Nopala town of Oaxaca has collapsed injuring 23 people walking on the surface. Authorities are covering the Mexico bridge collapse that took place on Sunday in southern Mexico.
People walking over were going to a Christmas party when the structure of the bridge collapsed, reported the civil defense office in the Pacific coast state of Oaxaca. Those injured in the Mexico bridge collapse were taken to a hospital nearby the beach resort of Puerto Escondido immediately. Among those injured, 12 were adults and 11 were children.
Officials report that most of those injured due to the Mexico bridge collapse were thrown into a ravine, leading to their injuries. The bridge was a cable suspension bridge for pedestrians, not uncommon in rural Mexico. Most of them are supported by steel cables and wooden planks but some are also made to be supported by ropes.
Only 6 months ago there was a severe metro train overpass collapse in Mexico City that killed 26 people according to the municipal government’s report. The report that was part of the investigation of the incident revealed several system failures within the structure of the overpass, including faulty beams, screws, and planks used in the construction. It is unclear yet, the reason for Sunday’s Mexico bridge collapse, and whether that is due to negligence in construction.
During the incident of the overpass in June, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said that they would continue to probe and investigate, “not only because of our legal obligation but because of our ethical, human and moral commitment.” Horrific video footage of the overpass moments before the collapse had gone viral around that time, and people were outraged at how such a systematic failure could take place.
The recent Mexico bridge collapse on Sunday will be seen through similarly but the intensity of the investigation may also vary depending on the casualties and intensity of injuries if any.