Espoo, Finland, May 11 (AFP/APP): Some 27 young people, mostly children, were injured in Finland on Thursday when a temporary footbridge near a construction site collapsed and they fell several metres onto a road, officials said.
The accident occurred at around 9:20 am (0620 GMT) in Espoo, near the capital, Helsinki, when wooden planks are believed to have given way and the group fell five to six metres (feet) onto the carriageway of the small side road.
Most of the injured were eighth-year pupils aged around 14 or 15, who were on a school field trip, city officials said. Their teacher was among the injured.
Twenty-four people were taken to various hospitals in the Helsinki region.
“No one has life-threatening injuries,” Helsinki hospital service HUS said, adding that the majority had limb fractures.
“There has been no indication of any risk of paralysis but there are some head injuries involved as well,” HUS medical director Eero Hirvensalo told reporters.
Photos from the scene showed the sides of the footbridge largely intact but a gaping hole across half of it and a pile of wooden planks in a jumble under one end.
Rescue workers could be seen treating multiple people lying injured on the road shortly after the accident.
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