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Footbridge Collapse: 9-Year-Old Dies, Over 60 Injured In Jammu And Kashmir's Udhampur

The incident took place at Beni Sangam in the Bain village of Chenani block during Baisakhi celebrations.

Bridge collapses in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur (Representational image)
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 A nine-year-old girl died and 62 people, including several children, were injured after a footbridge collapsed in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Friday afternoon.

The incident took place at Beni Sangam in the Bain village of Chenani block during Baisakhi celebrations. Police and relief teams rushed to the spot and began rescue operations.

"Sixty-two people were injured. Out of them, 35 were admitted to district hospital. The critically injured were taken to GMC Hospital in Jammu," said Udhampur Deputy Commissioner Krittika Jyotsna, who visited the hospital to meet the injured, told reporters.

Videos and pictures showing the extent of damage in the far-flung Chenani block have become widely circulated on social media.

Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said that the bridge collapsed due to overloading as a large number of people had gathered on it. "One girl has died in the hospital," he told PTI. According to the agency, the deceased has been identified as Anu Kumari.

The government has ordered a probe led by the Deputy Commissioner of Udhampur into the collapse.