A nearly century-old suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi town, about 240 km from Gandhinagar, collapsed on Sunday evening around 6 p.m. Around 500 people, including women and children on the bridge, fell into the river below when the cables supporting it snapped.
The death toll has risen to 141 people while rescue personnel is recovering more bodies from the river. While around 177 people have been saved, teams are searching for several others who are still missing.
The bridge reopened just four days ago, on October 26, the Gujarati New Year, after being shut for about seven months for repair. It was heavily crowded due to the Chhath puja rituals and a Sunday.
In an interview with Brijesh Merja, Gujarat’s minister for Labor and Employment, he said, “Renovation happened last week. We are also shocked. We are looking into the matter… The government takes responsibility for this tragedy.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Gujarat to inaugurate projects ahead of elections, also expressed grief over the loss of lives.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs.4 lakh to the family of those who died in the accident and ₹50,000 for the injured. The Prime Minister also announced financial assistance of ₹ 2 lakh each to the families of the victims.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat government has appointed a five-member team of bureaucrats and police officers to investigate the bridge collapse.
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