Divers and military in the rescue operation – Over 130 people were rescued – About 500 people were estimated to be on and around the bridge
At least 120 people died in India when a suspension bridge connecting the banks of a river collapsed on Sunday in the western state of Gujarat, a police official told AFP.
Shocking!!
Bridge collapsed in #Gujarat and around 400 people fell into the water.
Bridge was renovated and opened just 5 days ago. pic.twitter.com/k4cbq6MDTx
— Siddharth (@ethicalsid) October 30, 2022
“We have identified 120 bodies so far. The toll will likely continue to rise as search operations continue,” said P. Decavadiya, police chief in the town of Morbi, where the disaster unfolded.
BREAKING: Bridge with hundreds of people collapses into river in western India pic.twitter.com/eRRIk0aMsS
— BNO News (@BNONews) October 30, 2022
Authorities estimate that 500 people, including women and children, were participating in religious celebrations on and around the bridge when its cables gave way as night fell.
According to Morbi’s police chief, more than 130 people were rescued.
The bridge over the Machu River, which runs through Morbi, about 200 kilometers west of Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state of Gujarat, was built during the British colonial period. It had just reopened to the public after months of maintenance.
“People fell on top of each other when the bridge gave way. They had gathered for the ceremonies of the festival of Diwali (ss. “of light”). There are many women and children among the victims,” ​​an eyewitness told an Indian media outlet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQHzOk0vAOs
Divers and military
The suspension bridge, 233 meters long, was built in 1880, with materials brought to Gujarat from England, note Indian media. It reopened to the public last Wednesday, after seven months of maintenance work, without a safety certificate being issued by authorities, according to reports by NDTV.
The rescue operation involves divers, boats and dozens of army men.
Federal Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Gujarat — where he is from and where he rose to political prominence — called for “urgent mobilization of rescue teams” and help for all victims, his services said on Twitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qcuh1beENE
Accidents on aging and poorly maintained infrastructure are common in India, especially on bridges.
In 2016, the collapse of an elevated footbridge over a busy road in the city of Kolkata (East) claimed the lives of at least 26 people.
In 2011, at least 32 people died when the bridge they were on collapsed during a religious festival in northeastern India, about 30 kilometers from the city of Darjeeling.
Less than a week later, around 30 more people died in the collapse of a footbridge connecting the two banks of a river in the state of Arunachal Pradesh (northeast).
In 2006, at least 34 people were killed when a bridge built 150 years earlier collapsed on an express passenger train at a station in Bihar state (east).
RES-EMP
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
