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At the very least 132 individuals died in India when a colonial-era pedestrian bridge full of revellers collapsed into the river under, police mentioned Monday.
Authorities mentioned practically 500 individuals have been celebrating the final day of the Diwali pageant on and across the virtually 150-year-old suspension bridge in Morbi when supporting cables snapped after darkish on Sunday.
CCTV footage confirmed the construction within the western state of Gujarat swaying — with a couple of individuals apparently rocking it — earlier than it immediately gave method.
The walkway and fence crashed into the river, leaving the opposite facet dangling in mid-air and a whole bunch of individuals within the water.
“I noticed the bridge collapse earlier than my eyes,” mentioned one witness who labored all night time on rescue efforts with out giving his title.
“It was traumatic when a girl confirmed me a photograph of her daughter and requested if I had rescued her. I couldn’t inform her that her daughter had died.”
One other witness named Supran mentioned the bridge was “jam-packed”.
“The cables snapped, and the bridge got here down in a break up second. Individuals fell on one another and into the river,” he instructed native media.
Information studies confirmed footage of individuals clinging onto the twisted stays of the bridge or making an attempt to swim to security at nighttime.
Most Indians can not swim and one other Morbi resident, Ranjanbhai Patel, mentioned he helped pull out those that had been capable of attain the banks.
“As most people had fallen into the river, we weren’t capable of save them,” he mentioned.
Senior police official Ashok Kumar Yadav instructed AFP on Monday morning that the demise toll stood at 132.
Sources mentioned that many of the victims have been ladies and youngsters.
One native MP, Kalyanji Kundariya, instructed media he had misplaced 12 relations within the accident, together with 5 youngsters.
The bridge over the Machchhu river, a preferred vacationer spot, had solely reopened a number of days earlier for the native Gujarati New 12 months vacation after months of repairs.
– ‘No certificates’ –
Authorities launched a rescue operation following the collapse, with boats and divers looking the river all night time and on Monday morning.
P. Dekavadiya, the pinnacle of police in Morbi, instructed AFP that greater than 130 survivors had been rescued.
The suspension bridge, 233 metres (764 ft) lengthy and 1.5 metres huge, was inaugurated in 1880 by the British colonial authorities and made with supplies shipped from England, studies mentioned.
The Gujarat vacationer division describes the “grand suspension bridge” some 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the state’s central metropolis, Ahmedabad, as an “creative and technological marvel”.
Sandeepsinh Jhala, Morbi municipality chief officer, mentioned that the bridge had not been issued with a security certificates after the latest renovation.
The district police have launched an enquiry in opposition to the contractor, Yadav mentioned.
Experiences mentioned the work had been carried out by a unit of the Gujarat-based Oreva group, which describes itself because the world’s largest clock producer and makes lighting merchandise and e-bikes. It couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was touring Gujarat, his residence state, mentioned he “might not often have skilled a lot ache in my life.”
Moscow and New Delhi have loved shut relations for many years, and the Kremlin mentioned in a press release that Russian President Vladimir Putin despatched his condolences.
Accidents from outdated and poorly maintained infrastructure, together with bridges, are widespread in India.
In 2016 the collapse of a flyover onto a busy avenue in Kolkata killed a minimum of 26 individuals. 5 years earlier, a minimum of 32 individuals perished when a packed bridge collapsed within the hill resort of Darjeeling.
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