Mangaluru: Mini tempo crash damages Rs 60 lakh safety fencing on Netravathi Bridge; safety concerns raised

Mangaluru: Mini tempo crash damages Rs 60 lakh safety fencing on Netravathi Bridge; safety concerns raised

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 20, 2026: A mini tempo crashed into the compound wall of the Netravathi Bridge in the early hours of Wednesday, overturning after the impact. The driver escaped with minor injuries.

The accident caused severe damage to the iron safety fencing installed along the bridge at a cost of nearly ₹60 lakh. The fencing had been put up about five years ago following a series of suicides reported from the bridge.

Among the most high-profile incidents was the death of VG Siddhartha, founder of Cafe Coffee Day and son-in-law of former Chief Minister S. M. Krishna, who had jumped into the river from the bridge. The incident had drawn nationwide attention.

In the aftermath, the Mangaluru Urban Development Authority had sanctioned around ₹63 lakh to install fencing and CCTV cameras along the bridge to prevent further suicides. The measures had largely proven effective, significantly reducing such incidents over the past five years, with only two reported cases in which individuals allegedly managed to bypass the barrier through a pipeline fixed to the bridge wall.

Maintenance of the fencing and CCTV system was later handed over to the Mangaluru City Corporation.

Following Wednesday’s accident, portions of the fencing were left partially torn and damaged. Videos of the broken barricade have since gone viral on social media, raising concerns about whether the bridge could once again become vulnerable to suicide attempts.

Residents have urged civic authorities to immediately repair the damaged fencing to ensure public safety.