The authorities of the state of Gujarat updated the death toll, which reached 81 people after a suspension pedestrian bridge collapsed, plunging hundreds of people into a river, The 230 meter long structure dated from the 19th century and had recently been reopened to visitors.
The first reports indicate that some 400 people were in the structure on the Machhu river, in the city of Morbi when it gave way. All participated in rituals within the framework of a religious festival that was celebrated in the area. The bridge was closed for six months for repairs, and it was only this week that it reopened to the public.
Television images showed dozens of people clinging to the cables and remains of the destroyed bridge as rescue teams tried to save them. Some wounded men swam to shore to safety under their own power. An estimated one hundred people are missing, and tactical divers were deployed to participate in the search.
Compensation for victims
“We have found 81 bodies and the final rites have already begun,” he told the press Atul Prajapati, a doctor at the State Hospital near the site of the disaster. “These figures may increase as rescue operations progress,” added Brijesh Merja, Minister of Housing and Rural Development of Gujarat, who acknowledged reports of numerous people seriously injured. The authorities have spoken of at least thirty injuries of varying degrees.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who is visiting the state of Gujarat for three days, said he had ordered the head of the Gujarat government, Bhupendra Patel, to immediately mobilize all the necessary teams to rescue the injured, and promised that the relatives of the deceased will receive compensation, as will the injured.
“I am heading to Morbi, I have canceled all my upcoming events today. Direct monitoring of the situation and the necessary coordination with the system will be achieved by arriving at the site in person,” said Patel.