A pleasant evening turned into a shocking tragedy in Morbi town, 65 km from Rajkot city, after the suspension bridge collapsed on Sunday which sent people plunging into the Machchhu river and killing at least 135 people.
Sources said there were hundreds of people on this historic bridge. Large number of people standing on the bridge fell into the river and started drowning. The bridge, which was 1. 25m wide and 233m long, was renovated by the Morbi-based Oreva Group, said Sandeepsinh Jhala, chief officer of Morbi municipality. He said the company had not submitted a fitness certificate.
“The bridge was given to Oreva Group for operation and maintenance for 15 years. In March, it was closed for the public for renovation and reopened on the Gujarati New Year day on October 26,” Jhala said. Morbi collector G T Pandya said that 170 people have been rescued.
The accident came as a grim reminder of August 11, 1979 when Machchu Dam tragedy left thousands dead. The devastating flood occurred in the wake of 10 days of persistent rainfall and the earthen dam collapsed. Within 20 minutes, floods of 12 to 30 foot height inundated the low-lying areas of Morbi town.
Officials of the state irrigation department confirmed demolishing a check dam constructed by the municipality downstream of the Machchhu River to let off the water and aid rescue workers. Several teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were searching through the river and the Army's help was also sought. After hearing the news, chief minister Bhupendra Patel cancelled all his programmes and rushed to Morbi where he met the victims of the tragedy.
My heart goes out to victims: PM Modi
It was a lump-in-the-throat moment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he heard about the tragedy incident while he was participating in the National Unity Day celebrations held near Statue of Unity (SoU) at Kevadia in Narmada district. “On one hand, there is a heart laden with grief, while on the other there is the path of Karma and Kartavya,” an emotional Modi said, adding that it is the path of duty and responsibility that had led him at Kevadiya on the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 200,000 from PMNRF for the kin of each of those who lost their lives and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.
PM meets kin of victims
PM Modi on Tuesday visited Morbi and met people who were involved in the rescue and relief operations. Later, he visited Morbi civil hospital to meet injured people and family members of victims who lost their lives in the incident.
9 people arrested
Nine people, including ticketing clerks and subcontractors, were arrested on charges of culpable homicide. The nine arrested include two persons from Oreva Group, the contractor responsible for repairs and management of the bridge.
State mourning
On November 2, the state administration declared a day of mourning for those who died in Morbi. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all official structures, according to CM Bhupendra Patel, and all state government events would be postponed.
MP loses 12 relatives
BJP MP Mohan Kundariya said that 12 of his relatives were among those killed while a jeweller and his entire family perished in the same tragedy. A six-year old Anek Parmar was rescued by the search team but lost his parents.
World leaders express condolences
World leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid extended their condolences to the families of the people who lost their lives in the bridge collapse.
