Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 11: Police had to open fire in air, lob tear-smoke and charge batons to disperse protesters after at least 25 people were injured, five of them seriously, when a wooden bridge in the interior Dal lake collapsed during a protest demonstration here today.
A group of people at Mir Behri locality of Saidakadal in Srinagar took to streets and staged a demonstration in the morning today in support of their demand for proper roads after two minor siblings drowned two days back.
The protesters alleged that the siblings died as they did not reach to the hospital on time due to bad roads and lack of connectivity in the interior areas of the Dal lake.
The traffic on the road remained blocked for about two hours before the Superintendent of Police North persuaded them and Additional Deputy Commissioner, Nizamudin Khan, reached the spot to address the grievances of the residents.
As the protesters headed towards the interior Dal lake with the Additional DC, they were on a wooden bridge known as Janta Bridge discussing the condition of roads in the locality when all of a sudden portion of the bridge collapsed and around 60 people including the Additional DC and some of his security guards fell into Dal lake.
The locals and rescuers jumped into the lake and rescued all of them. However, 25 of them sustained injuries. They were referred to nearby JLNM hospital Rainawari. Some of them were referred to SMHS and SKIMS hospitals. Five of the injured are stated to be serious.
Soon after the bridge collapse protesters pelted stones on police resulting in clashes in which 5 people were injured including a police man.
Police fired in air, fired tear smoke and charged batons on the protesters to disperse them.
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