Bridge collapse in India: More than 90 people died
As of 12:00 pm on October 30 (local time), more than 90 people were confirmed dead and dozens injured in the collapse of a suspension bridge in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The incident occurred after the bridge had just been repaired and reopened to visitors.
The accident occurred on Sunday evening (October 30), when a suspension bridge over the Machhu Dam in the town of Morbi in the western state of Gujarat was carrying a large number of people. According to eyewitnesses, at least 150 people were on the bridge when the incident occurred. The large number of tourists crossing the bridge at the same time is believed to have caused the bridge to collapse.
“The accident occurred at around 6:40 pm and the bridge collapsed into the water. Many people who were on the bridge were injured while most of them fell into the water below. We have started rescue work, searching for the missing people and taking the injured to hospital,” said Brijesh Merja, Gujarat’s Labour and Employment Minister, who was present at the scene.
Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were immediately dispatched to the site to carry out rescue operations, search for the injured and take them to hospital. The Indian Navy has also deployed a 40-man rescue team with equipment to carry out the search and rescue operations.
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Scene of the suspension bridge collapse in Gujarat state, India. Source: ANI |
That same evening, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi contacted Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, asking the local government to "urgently mobilize" rescue teams to deal with the aftermath of the accident. The Indian Prime Minister also announced that a compensation of 200,000 Rupees (equivalent to 2,500 USD) would be provided to the relatives of the victims of the bridge collapse and 50,000 Rupees (equivalent to 625 USD) for each injured person. This amount was taken from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. A special investigation team of 5 members has also been set up to find out the cause of the bridge collapse.
The collapsed suspension bridge was built by a local ruler in the early 19th century, when India was a British colony. The bridge is 1.25 meters wide and 233 meters long, and is an iconic structure in the town of Morbi at that time. The bridge was reopened on October 26 after a 7-month closure for repairs and renovations. A local official said the bridge was put into use without being certified by the government for quality and safety standards./.
