Sunil Shetty injured in tragic footbridge collapse during Dakshina Kannada ritual

DAKSHINA KANNADA: A traditional religious procession turned into a scene of chaos on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, when a footbridge collapsed in Puche Mogaru village, near Moodbidri. The incident occurred during the Dharma Nema ritual as devotees were carrying the sacred Bhandara (sacred offerings) in a palanquin.

The procession was moving from a local temple toward a traditional ancestral house. To reach the destination, the group had to cross a small stream via a narrow footbridge, known locally as a kalusanka. As the palanquin bearers and devotees crossed in a row, the bridge's support beams suddenly snapped, sending the group plummeting approximately 10 feet into the rocky stream bed below.

Eight people sustained injuries in the fall. While all victims survived the initial collapse, four individuals were rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru with serious injuries, including bone fractures. Among the seriously injured was Sunil Shetty Mukaldi, a ritual assistant, and a devotee named Harish, who reportedly suffered fractures in both legs.

While initial reports suggested the bridge was relatively new, local authorities have clarified that the structure was nearly 50 years old and in a state of neglect. The weight of the procession proved too much for the dilapidated wooden beams.

Shocking footage of the accident has since gone viral, showing the moment the bridge gave way and the victims fell onto the large stones lining the stream. Local residents managed to pull the injured from the debris shortly after the collapse.