Indian authorities arrested nine people believed to be linked to the collapse of a suspension bridge that killed at least 134 people on Sunday at night.
The inspector general in the state of Gujarat, Ashok Yadav, announced that the nine arrests included administrative staff, ticket sales employees and three security guards. They have been singled out for failing to control the crowds before the collapse of the Morbi bridge, which was 143 years old and recently repaired.
“We will not let the guilty escape. We will not spare anyone,” Yadav said in a statement.
The official stressed that the authorities opened a case against Oreva Group, the company in charge of operating the bridge, for which there would be a case of manslaughter, attempted manslaughter, among other infractions. No further arrests were ruled out, Reuters reported.
The bridge, which was originally built under British colonialism in 1877, was made available to the public again four days before the tragedy after spending six months undergoing repairs.
Although the attraction attracted hundreds of tourists, investigators did not specify how many people were on the bridge when it collapsed.
Security video showed the bridge shaking violently as people clung to its cables and metal fences to not fall But the aluminum walkway gave way, splitting the bridge in half, snapping its cables and crashing into the river, Fox News reported.
“There was between 15 and 25 children between 20 and 25 years that shook the bridge,” a witness told ANI-TV, who managed to survive the fall. “We heard some sounds three times, and on the sixth time the cable (of the bridge) suddenly snapped.”
After the accident, the police confirmed at least 134 dead, while others were admitted to hospitals in critical condition. State Minister Harsh Sanghvi stressed that most of the victims were women, teenagers and the elderly. At least 177 survivors were pulled from the river.