Police in western India arrested nine people on Monday as they investigated the collapse of a recently repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge in one of the country’s worst accidents in years, authorities said. Sunday evening’s landslide in the state of Gujarat sent hundreds of people plunging into a river, killing at least 134 people.
Inspector General Ashok Yadav said police have formed a special investigation team and those arrested include managers of the bridge’s operator, Oreva Group, and its staff.
“We will not let the guilty escape. We will not spare anyone,” Yadav said.
Gujarat authorities opened a case against Oreva on suspicion of culpable homicide, attempted culpable homicide and other violations.
In March, the local government of the city of Morbi awarded a 15-year contract to maintain and manage the bridge to Oreva, a group of companies known mainly for making watches, mosquito repellents and electric bicycles. In the same month, Oreva closed the bridge, which spans a wide section of the Machchhu River, for repairs.
LOOK | The suspension bridge reopened 4 days ago:
A criminal investigation is opened into the collapse of a bridge in India
A suspension bridge that collapsed in the Indian state of Gujarat, killing at least 133 people, had not been properly cleared for people to cross after being renovated, freelance journalist Ishan Garg says in New Delhi.
Authorities said the 19th-century colonial-era pedestrian bridge collapsed because it could not support the weight of the large crowd as the Hindu festival season drew hundreds of tourists to the newly opened tourist attraction recently
The 232-metre-long bridge had been closed for repairs for nearly six months and had reopened just four days earlier for the Gujarati New Year. Pictures from the disaster site showed the bridge split in half and the metal roadway hanging, the metal cables broken in some places.
“We could barely move”
Authorities said the structure collapsed under the weight of hundreds of people. Security video of the disaster showed it shaking violently and people trying to hold on to its cables and metal fences before the aluminum footbridge gave way and crashed into the river.
The bridge split down the middle, with the gangway hanging and the cables snapped.
Rescue personnel in India carry out search operations after a bridge over the Machchhu River collapsed. The bridge had been closed for almost six months for renovations and reopened four days ago. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images)
At least 177 survivors were pulled from the river and teams from the army, navy and air force were searching for others missing, said Jigar Khunt, an information department officer in Gujarat.
As of midday Monday, Global Affairs Canada said they were not aware of “any Canadian citizens affected.”
Police said at least 134 people were confirmed dead and many others were admitted to hospitals in critical condition. Emergency services and first responders worked overnight and throughout Monday to search for survivors.
“There were too many people on the bridge. We could barely move,” said Sidik Bai, 27, as he recovered from his injuries in a hospital bed in Morbi.
Rescue personnel are carrying out search operations on Sunday after a bridge over the Machchhu River collapsed. Authorities said the bridge collapsed because it could not support the weight of a large crowd. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images)
Sidik said he jumped into the water when the bridge began to break and saw his friend being crushed by its metal walkway. He survived the disaster by climbing onto the bridge and holding on to its cables, but his friend could not.
“Everyone was crying for help, but one by one they all started to disappear into the water,” Sidik said.
Modi ‘deeply saddened’ by tragedy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in his home state of Gujarat on a three-day visit, said he was “deeply saddened by the tragedy”. His office announced compensation to the families of the dead and called for a speedy rescue.
“Rarely in my life would I have experienced this pain,” Modi said during a public event in the state on Monday.
Modi ruled Gujarat as the top elected official for 12 years before becoming the Prime Minister of India in 2014.
Elections to the Gujarat state government are expected in the coming months and opposition parties have demanded an inquiry into the collapse, saying the bridge was reopened without safety clearance. The claim could not be independently verified, but the state government said it has formed a special team to investigate the disaster.
Relatives of a victim mourn in Morbi on Monday. More than 130 people have died and many more are feared to be injured in the incident. (Ajit Solanki/The Associated Press)
India’s infrastructure has long been plagued by security issues, sometimes leading to major disasters on its roads and bridges.
The bridge collapse is Asia’s third major disaster involving large crowds in a month.
On Saturday, a Halloween crowd surge killed more than 150 youths, mostly young men, who attended the festivities in Itaewon, a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea. On October 1, police in Indonesia fired tear gas at a soccer match, causing a stampede that killed 132 people as spectators tried to flee.