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Indrayani bridge collapse: ‘I watched helplessly as my father fell to his death,’ says son

“My father was always content to stay at home. He did not like to go out very often. But I had insisted on the Sunday outing. And now he is gone forever,” Suraj said.

57-year-old Chandrakant Sathale was killed in the bridge collapse on Indrayani river

Suraj Sathale (28) is in a state of shock as the horror keeps playing in his mind. It was he who had pursuaded his family for a Sunday outing at Kundamala, a scenic temple village 30 km from Pune. “Why did I ask them to come? Why did I insist that my father should come with us,” he said, clutching his head.

On Sunday evening, Suraj watched helplessly as the iron bridge over the Indrayani river gave way beneath his father’s feet. He saw his 57-year-old father Chandrakant Sathale fall to his death as the bridge collapsed. “My father was always content to stay at home. He did not like to go out very often. But I had insisted on the Sunday outing. And now he is gone forever,” Suraj said.

The family had spent the entire day at the village and was returning home when Suraj’s father told them to wait while he took the bridge and crossed the river to take blessings at the Kund Devi Mata temple. According to neighbours of the Sathale family, who stay at Azadnagar in Wanowrie, while Suraj’s father was returning, the bridge collapsed.

Four persons have been confirmed dead in the incident. At Pawana multi-speciality hospital, medical administrator Dr Madhuli Bagle said two persons, who were injured, were admitted to the ICU. Chitralekha Anil Kumar (46), who fractured her tibia and humerous bone, was operated upon while Shamika Mane (28), who lost both her husband and son, also underwent surgery for her ankle fracture. “They are stable,” Dr Bagle said.

Meanwhile, Dnyaneshwar Shelke, Chief Operating Officer, BVG-Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services, said their 108 ambulance teams assisted and treated 46 patients at the site. The team included Dr Mashmoom Ahmed, Dr Kiran Rajput and Dr Swapnil Matkar among others. According to Shelke, disasters like the Kundamala bridge collapse pose a challenge for medical teams to gain access to the affected patients.

Due to the extremely narrow road, the doctors had to get on to NDRF boats to immediately treat the injured. “After the rescue and evacuation of patients, stabilising them was of immediate priority. There was excellent coordination between all agencies as they attended to the needs of the patients,” Shelke said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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