Brazil carnival tragedy as bridge packed with 100 revellers collapses: Mother and her baby are missing, feared dead
- Video shows party-goers crammed together on a footbridge in Brazil as it sways
- Then, suddenly, the cables snap, the narrow walkway buckles and group fall
A mother and her one-year-old baby are missing and feared dead after a bridge packed with more than a hundred carnival-goers collapsed in Brazil.
The disaster happened when the footbridge connecting Torres and Passo de Torres over the Mampituba River gave way as revellers were returning to their homes after the carnival in the early hours of the morning.
Horrifying footage from just before the collapse shows a group of party-goers crammed together on the footbridge as the cables above them begin to sway.
Then, suddenly, the cables snap, the narrow walkway buckles, and the unsuspecting revellers are hurled into the river below.
Some can be seen clinging desperately to the wreckage of the bridge to avoid falling into the water while others scream for help and try to swim to safety.
The disaster happened when the footbridge connecting Torres and Passo de Torres over the Mampituba River gave way as revellers were returning to their homes after the carnival in the early hours of the morning
Firefighters say they pulled around 30 people from the water, many of them injured, at 2.30am on Monday morning.
At least three people are still reportedly missing, including a mother and her one-year-old son.
Student Luciana Soares Tavares – who was on the bridge – told local media: “When we realised what was happening, we had already fallen into the water.
“It was very fast. We only heard people falling into the water and saw people climb to the surface. We were scared; we felt absolutely desperate.”
City Tourism Secretary Matheus Junges said a group of people had been returning from Passo de Torres to Torres after a carnival party.
Firefighters search for people after the collapse of the bridge that connects Torres and Passo de Torres in Brazil
Local media report that the bridge – which has a maximum capacity of 20 – was packed with at least 100 party-goers.
Firefighters continue the search and 16 people have already received medical attention in the city.
Officials say the bridge’s safety checks were up to date but believe it was massively overloaded on the night.
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