BARCELONA, Spain, March 3 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and two others remain missing after a pedestrian footbridge collapsed over the sea at El Bocal beach in the northern Spanish city of Santander on Tuesday, local media reported, citing authorities and emergency services.
The accident occurred in the afternoon when a wooden structure forming part of a coastal path between El Bocal and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography gave way for reasons still under investigation. Seven people were on the footbridge at the time, and all fell into the water and onto the rocks below.
One person was rescued alive. Four deaths have been confirmed, including one individual who was taken to the Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital in critical condition and later died. Two people remain unaccounted for.
After receiving the alert, the regional 112 emergency center launched a large-scale rescue operation. Authorities have not yet specified the exact cause of the collapse, describing the situation as "confusing" and saying preliminary investigations are underway.
The incident has shocked the local community, and the coastal path has been temporarily closed as emergency operations continue.
