Wooden bridge collapse in an Indonesian resort

A wooden bridge in a Hotel resort located in Batam, Indonesia, partially collapsed injuring 26 people.

The bridge that rises 3 meters above the sea, was constructed in 2012. The failure occurred on November 7, 2019.

The 70-meter pier collapsed when a group of 30 people was standing at the bridge, taking a photo. During the incident, 26 fell into the water and were injured. Most of them suffered minor injuries but they were hospitalized and quickly discharged. However, 2 persons suffered bone fractures and needed additional medical help.

According to the hotel, the failure was caused due to the pier's overload as so many people were standing in a relatively small area. “This is an unfortunate incident which was a result of overcapacity of 30 pax (persons) at a concentrated area of the bridge when the bridge was meant to be a casual transient passage. Findings from the preliminary investigation show that unlike previously reported, the legs and foundation remain intact,” the hotel stated. The statement did not clarify the load capacity of the pier.

However, Colonel S. Erlangga, the Riau Islands provincial police spokesman, expressed a different opinion about the causes of the collapse. In particular, he stated that the foundation of the bridge was probably eroded, a fact that led to the partial failure. The Indonesian Police began an investigation on the incident and interviewed 4 witnesses associated with the hotel's management.

The resort officials also added that the causes of the collapse will be further investigated. Currently, the failure zone has been covered to prevent any further accidents and signs have been placed near the hazardous area. "More checks and a full investigation are ongoing at the moment. In the meantime, warning signs have been placed near the accident zone. We are cooperating with the local authorities and the police, and apologize for any inconvenience caused." they stated.

The hotel added that the condition of the bridge was regularly evaluated and a routine check had been conducted in 2019.

A new plan suggests that the bridge will be repaired as soon as possible. An upgraded design that will increase the structure's safety will be implemented.