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A nearly 100-year-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed on Sunday. So far, 141 people have been reported dead. Among the deceased there are 78 elderly and 56 children, according to official figures. Search and rescue operations are underway.
Reports the correspondent in New Delhi, Varoon P. Anand
The Morbi bridge had been reopened just a week ago after repairs. There was a crowd on the bridge at the time as people celebrated the Diwali festival, authorities said. The 230-meter bridge over the Machchhu River was built during British rule in the 19th century.
A spokesman for the Oreva Group, a private company responsible for the maintenance and management of the bridge, stated that “the bridge collapsed because too many people in the middle section of the bridge were trying to pull it from one side to the other.”
Sandeepsinh Zala, director general of Morbi Municipality, said that “the private company opened the bridge to visitors without notifying us and therefore we were unable to carry out a safety audit of the bridge. The local municipality had not yet issued any certificate of fitness (after renovation work),” he clarified.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on an election tour of Gujarat, will visit Morbi on Tuesday. “I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy,” the prime minister said. In addition, the government has announced aid of around 2,400 euros for the relatives of the deceased and 610 euros for the injured.
