Bridge Collapse in India Kills 134

The death toll from a foot bridge collapse in India rose to 134 on Monday, including many children, as police detained nine people as part of a criminal investigation into one of the deadliest accidents in the country in the past decade.

CCTV footage from just before the collapse showed a group of young men taking photos while others tried to rock the suspension bridge from side to side, before they tumbled into the river below as the cables holding it together gave way.  Police in the western state of Gujarat, where the disaster occurred, told Reuters they had detained nine people after registering a criminal case against unnamed people responsible for the renovation, maintenance and management of the bridge.

Ashwin Mehra, who was undergoing treatment after sustaining leg and back injuries when he plunged from the bridge, said he and six others had reached the shore by holding onto the bridge’s metal railings and netting.  “Some 15-20 mischievous young kids were shaking the ropes of the bridge. Three times a noise came from the bridge before it collapsed,” he said.

Local officials said that the manager of the bridge, a company making clocks and electrical items, had not informed the authorities that the bridge would be reopened after repairs, adding that no certificate that it was fit for public use had been issued.  The colonial-era footbridge over the Machchhu River in the centre of Morbi town was packed with sightseers enjoying holiday festivities when it collapsed on Sunday evening, plunging people about 33 feet into the river.  Some 400 people had bought tickets to get onto the bridge to celebrate the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals.

About 35 victims were under 14, according to a list of the deceased seen by Reuters. About 170 people had been rescued by the morning.  “People were hanging from the bridge after the accident, but they slipped and fell into the river when it collapsed,” said Raju, an witness who gave only one name. “I could not sleep the entire night as I had helped in the rescue operation. I brought a lot of children to the hospital.”  Narendrasinh Jadeja, whose friend lost seven members of his family, including four children, said: “I cannot express how angry and helpless I am feeling.”  A government official said at the site that the river’s muddy waters were hampering rescue work and that there might be people trapped under the remains of the bridge.

Gujarat-based electrical appliances maker Oreva group, known for its Ajanta clocks, had been in charge of maintaining the bridge for 15 years, said Sandeepsinh Zala, the chief officer of Morbi municipality.  “They did not give us any information that they were reopening the bridge,” Zala said. “We have not issued any fitness certificate to them.”  Jayrajsinh Jadeja, a local lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, blamed Oreva for selling tickets without restrictions and said overcrowding led to the bridge collapse.  The bridge was previously maintained by the local municipality, which limited the number of people on the bridge at one time to 20, he said.

The bridge is 4 feet wide and 255 yards long, connecting the Darbargadh Palace heritage hotel and the town. It was built in 1877 when India was a British colony.  Opposition politicians in Gujarat, where elections are due by early next year, said the disaster exposed the lack of oversight of infrastructure in the country.  “Not just extremely sad on bridge collapse in Morbi but also very angry. Because it was a tragedy in waiting,” Gurdeep Singh Sappal, a member of the Congress party, wrote on Twitter. “For some time now, bridge collapse, roads caving-in, dams breaching are happening quite often.”