A temporary footbridge on a construction site in Finland collapsed on Thursday, leading 27 young people, mostly children, to fall several metres onto a road and suffer injuries, officials said. According to an Espoo police statement, the event happened at 9:30 a.m. local time in the Tapiola neighborhood of Espoo, a city west of the capital Helsinki.
“Approximately 27 youths, mostly minors, have been injured, to varying degrees,” the Western Uusimaa rescue department in Espoo, near the capital Helsinki, said in a statement.
The injured were pupils from Helsinki’s Kalasataman elementary school, who were on the bridge as part of a field trip, according to another statement from the city of Espoo. They were rushed to three different hospitals for treatment, with the majority of them having broken limbs but none in serious condition, according to the Helsinki Hospital Authority.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin expressed her shock and sympathy on Twitter, writing: “Shocking news from Espoo. Strength to those injured in the accident and their loved ones. You are in thought.”
According to the daily Helsingin Sanomat, which cited Helsinki’s local first-responder service, the bridge was one of two built to cross a neighboring building site. According to the agency, approximately 45 individuals were on the bridge when it fell. The city of Espoo claimed responsibility for the disaster and stated that the bridge was examined last Friday. The police and the municipal said they were looking into what caused the collapse.
