26 Singaporeans hurt in Batam bridge collapse
At least 26 Singaporeans were injured after a bridge at a 4.5-star resort in Batam collapsed yesterday afternoon.
Indonesian police said earlier that 18 Singaporeans were hurt, but community self-help group Mendaki said in a statement on Friday that 26 of its employees were injured in the incident.
About 100 Mendaki employees were at the resort to discuss work plans for the coming year.
Mendaki said that two employees will need further treatment in Singapore.
The other 24 staff members suffered only light injuries and were treated as outpatients.
Mendaki is in touch with family members of the injured.
Police investigations at the resort started soon after the bridge collapse around 4pm.
"The wooden foundations of the bridge have probably decayed, leading to its collapse," news site Detik.com cited Colonel S. Erlangga, the Riau Islands provincial police spokesman, as saying.
Some of the victims were taking selfies when the bridge collapsed, Detik reported.Two of those taken to hospital had serious injuries, Col Erlangga said. A hospital employee said one of them probably had a fractured right foot, while the other likely sustained a rib fracture.
- THE STRAITS TIMES
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