A portion of old pier of Puducherry collapses

Puducherry: A portion of the old pier collapsed in the early hours of Sunday due to high waves.

Built in 1962, the old pier was originally meant to transport cargo from ships anchored 2 km off the coast. A railway line also existed on the top of the bridge, goods from boats were lifted through cranes and shifted to godowns in the port.

The railway line was latter dismantled and covered with concrete flooring. In 2004, it was abandoned as the port operations were shifted to the new port in Uppalam. As per reports, the structure remained in a dilapidated condition for a long time. The iron beams on the side of it had corroded.