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Top 10 Bridges In The World Where People Commit Suicide by Realcash224(m): 12:41am On Apr 02, 2017 |
Eleven kilometres long and nondescript,
Nigeria’s Third Mainland Bridge offers little
glamour, glee and peace of mind except for the
picturesque views of the lagoon, the University
of Lagos waterfront and the sprawling Makoko
shanties.
Constructed in 1990, it was Africa’s longest
bridge until 1996. A common route for
commuters, the bridge has become a
paradoxical lifeline for those who have chosen
to take solace in suicide.
In March alone, this year, the bridge has
recorded one suicide and three attempted
suicides. While it has recently become
synonymous with suicide, it is by no means the
only bridge where suicide is committed.
Below is a list of the top 10 bridges in the
world with the highest rate of suicides
according to Opentravel.com .
1. The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, US
Statistics: 1,500 deaths, approximately 30
suicides per year
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA,
is the most popular suicide destination in the
world. It was the longest suspension bridge
span in the world when it was completed in
1937. It connects the city of San Francisco on
the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula
to Marin County.
It has become a Mecca of a sort for those who
want to end their lives. People have been
known to travel to San Francisco specifically
to jump off the bridge as approximately 75m
(245 feet) above the water is high enough for
98 per cent falls to be fatal. According to
unofficial estimates, around 1,500 people
jumped into the water from the bridge’s deck.
2. The Clifton Suspension Bridge
Statistics: 1,000 deaths, approximately four
suicides per year after new barriers added
in 1998
The Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the
beautiful Avon Gorge, in Bristol, United
Kingdom, was opened in 1864 and designed for
light horse-drawn traffic. It still meets the
demands of 21st-century
Clifton bridge
commuter traffic with 11-12,000 motor
vehicles crossing it every day. Unfortunately,
since its earliest days, the bridge has also been
attracting those deprived of hope.
Around 1,000 people have lost their lives
jumping into the water. Among those
unfortunate souls was one lucky one – in 1885,
a 22-year-old woman named Sarah Ann Henley
survived a fall from the bridge when her
billowing skirts acted as a parachute, and
subsequently lived into her 80s.
3. The Aurora Bridge
Statistics: Over 230 deaths
The Aurora Bridge in Seattle, Washington, 51m
(167 ft) above the water, is regarded as one of
the deadliest suicide bridges in the United
States. The first suicide on the bridge occurred
in January 1932 before the construction was
completed. Since its opening in February 1932,
there have been 230 suicide falls. In December
2006, six emergency phones and 18 signs were
installed on the bridge to encourage people to
seek help instead of jumping.
4. The Nanjing Bridge
Statistics: About 1,000 deaths (unofficial
records)
The Nanjing Bridge in China is a national
symbol for Chinese. After the withdrawal of
Soviet experts, following the Sino-Soviet Split,
China was thought to be unable to build a
bridge on such a scale without external
support. The project was undertaken to prove
that Chinese engineers were able to overcome
this perceived lack of ability. Unfortunately, the
bridge also gained a fatal fame of a suicide
spot, as up to 1,000 people are believed to
have died by jumping off it since its completion
in 1968.
However, in 2004, one man, Chen Si, began
voluntarily patrolling this fatal spot and has
persuaded dozens of people not to kill
themselves. Si patrolled the bridge over the
weekends when he did not have to go to work.
He talked to people who seemed depressed.
His message was simple, “You only have one
life, please give yourself a chance. The sun is
bound to shine brighter tomorrow.”
5. Netty Jetty Bridge
Statistics: About 1,000 deaths (unofficial
records)
According to unofficial statistics, around 200
people jumped from 100-year-old Netty Jetty
Bridge in Karachi, Pakistan. The grinding
poverty, impatience and intolerance in society
are seen as some of the main reasons behind
the growing number of suicides in the country.
A recent government study showed that four
people in Pakistan commit suicide every day.
6. The Nusle Bridge
Statistics: About 300 deaths
Another magnet for suicides is the Nusle Bridge
in Prague, opened in 1973. The extraordinary
structure, with metro line inside and six-lane
highway on a surface, has also become a spot
for despaired people. There are no official
statistics on suicide rate but the number of
deaths is estimated at 300 men.
Recently, new barriers have been constructed
along the length of the bridge in order to lessen
the number of suicides. The new system has
been tested by experienced rock climbers that
could not get over the barriers.
7. The Coronado Bridge
Statistics: About 200 deaths
The San Diego-Coronado Bridge, locally
referred to as the Coronado Bridge, links San
Diego, California with Coronado, California. It
is regarded as the third deadliest suicide bridge
in the United States. Between 1972 and 2000,
more than 200 suicides were committed on the
bridge.
8. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Statistics: About 100 deaths
Another bridge often used for suicide is
Sunshine Skyway, spanning Florida’s Tampa
Bay. Around 100 people have committed
suicide by jumping from the centre span into
the waters of Tampa Bay since the opening of
the new bridge in 1987 and many more have
tried. In fact, the number can be much higher.
The local authorities have installed six crisis
phones and began 24-hour patrols but the total
number of jumpers has not significantly
declined since the introduction of these
safeguards.
9. The Prince Edward Viaduct
Statistics: Average of 400 deaths
When opened in 1918 in Toronto, no one
thought this majestic construction would
become a popular suicide spot. With over 400
suicides, the Viaduct ranked as the second
most fatal standing structure in the world, after
the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. At its
peak in 1997, the suicide rate averaged one
person every 22 days.
This prompted the construction of a suicide
barrier, called the Luminous Veil. The
construction was completed in 2003 and cost
$5.5m. It is built of 9,000 rods, each five
metres tall. It spaced 12.7 cm (five inches)
apart and held in place by steel frame. There
was no suicide since the construction of the
barrier, however, it is not known whether the
suicide rate at other bridges in the city has
risen, nor whether overall suicide rates have
dropped in the city as a direct result of this
structure.
10. The Jacques Cartier Bridge
Statistics: About 140 deaths
The Jacques Cartier Bridge is crossing the
Saint Lawrence River in from Montreal Island,
Montreal, Quebec to the south shore at
Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. There are
approximately 35.4 million vehicle crossings
annually, making it the second busiest bridge in
Canada. Unfortunately, it is also the one of the
busiest bridges in terms of suicides committed
in the country. In 2004, a suicide prevention
barrier was installed. Until then, the bridge saw
an average of 10 suicides a year. |
Re: Top 10 Bridges In The World Where People Commit Suicide by AbbeyvanPersie(m): 2:51am On Apr 02, 2017 |
Number one and two are just terrible |
Re: Top 10 Bridges In The World Where People Commit Suicide by Issygirl(f): 10:54am On Apr 02, 2017 |
Hmmmmm |
(1) (Reply)
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