New Delhi
DailyExpertNews
—
The death toll has risen to 134 after a suspension bridge collapsed in India’s western state of Gujarat on Sunday.
Gujarat Interior Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Monday that an estimated 200 people were on the bridge in Morbi town when it plunged into the river below on Sunday evening. A cable at one end appears to have snapped, he added.
The state of Gujarat has filed a criminal complaint against the agency dealing with the maintenance of the 230-meter-long bridge, which was built in the 19th century and reopened after renovations last week, he said.
Photos from Monday’s scene showed people gathering on the bank of the Machchhu River next to the mangled metal walkway, which leaned into the water at an acute angle, as rescuers searched for survivors in inflatable dinghies.
A special five-person commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the incident, Sanghavi said, amid an ongoing search and rescue operation by hundreds of personnel from state and national disaster relief teams and the Indian military.
At a press conference in the early hours of Monday, Sanghavi did not say how many people are missing, but social media videos showed dozens of people in the water after the bridge collapse.
TV footage showed people holding the cables and remains of the bridge as emergency services tried to reach them, Reuters reported. Some climbed the destroyed structure to reach the banks of the river, while others swam to safety.
Children were also among the dead, MP Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya told Indian broadcaster DailyExpertNews.
Senior police officer Ashok Yadav said later on Monday that seven of the injured are still in hospital, while 56 people have been discharged after treatment.
According to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the families of the victims will receive compensation from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Speaking Monday at a campaign event ahead of a state-level election in Gujarat, Modi said his “heart is filled with love and with the families of those who suffer.”
“The state government has set up a committee to investigate the incident. I assure the people of the country that nothing will be missing in the relief and rescue efforts,” Modi said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said he was on his way to Morbi and the state government would provide the equivalent of about $5,000 in compensation per family of the deceased and about $600 each for the injured.
“I offer my condolences to the families of the civilians who lost their lives in the tragedy,” he tweeted.