At least 132 people were killed in Machchhu river in Morbi town of Gujarat after a suspension bridge collapsed on Sunday evening.
"The rescue work is still going on. So far, two persons are missing," Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi said. He said that an FIR has been registered against private agency for attempt to commit culpable homicide (IPC 308) and culpable homicide not amounting to murder (IPC 304).
Last night, officials said that the rescue operation was proving difficult due to the poor visibility.
Sanghavi said that the hanging bridge broke away at 6:30 PM when there were about 150 people on it. "So far, 70 people have been rescued and brought to hospitals. Most of them are out of danger. The rescue teams are still working," he told reporters while rushing to Morbi. Meanwhile, district officials said that 160 people had been rescued. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other ministers and senior officers also rushed to the spot.
For rescue and relief operations, three platoons of NDRF with 50 personnel of Indian Navy, 30 personnel of IAF along with two columns of Army personnel and seven teams of Fire Brigade left for Morbi with advanced equipment from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Diu and Surendranagar," the Gujarat CM's Office said in a statement.
Gujarat minister and local MLA, Brijesh Merja, who was at the spot and supervising the rescue operations, told reporters, "More than 78 persons have been killed in the incident." By late night, the number of deaths increased to 78 while 170 people were rescued who were sent to different hospitals. District officials said that many of the victims were children and elderly people.
The CMO said that three platoons of NDRF with 50 personnel of Indian Navy, 30 personnel of IAF along with two columns of Army personnel and seven teams of Fire Brigade were dispatched to Morbi with advanced equipment from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Diu and Surendranagar for rescue operations.
Chief Minister Patel reached the spot and saw the rescue works. He also visited the hospitals to meet the victims.
However, the government was yet to officially declare the number of casualties. Sources said that among dead were many children and women. The videos of the incident showed the victims hanging onto the broken cables and screaming for help. Most of the victims had come to the bridge.
According to Ashok Yadav, the Bhavnagar Range IG, under whose jurisdiction Morbi district also falls, 400 tickets had been sold before the accident. "It was difficult to ascertain exactly how many people were on the bridge at the time of incident but roughly there could have been 100 to 150," he told reporters. He also said that a special investigation team has been formed to look into the incident to find out the reasons and people responsible for this.
The 150-year-old bridge, a major tourist attraction of the town, was reopened for the public on October 26, the Gujarati New Year after the repair work. Locals said that the bridge was closed for nearly six months for maintenance. Officials said that the Morbi civic authority had handed over the repair work to a private firm, Oreva.
The prime minister's office announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the mishap. The injured will be given Rs 50,000. Modi, who is on a three-day Gujarat visit ahead of Assembly polls, tweeted that he spoke to the Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel regarding the mishap and was monitoring the rescue work.
In a tweet, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said he was saddened by the tragedy. "Relief and rescue operations by the administration are going on. The administration has been instructed to arrange immediate treatment for the injured. I am in constant contact with the district administration in this regard," he said.
Morbi district's official website describes the bridge as "an engineering marvel built at the turn of the century," which reflects the progressive and scientific nature of the rulers of Morbi. This was built to give a unique identity to Morbi using the latest technology available in those days. It is 1.25 m wide and spans 233 m on the Machchhu River connecting Darbargadh Palace and Lakhdhirji Engineering College.