INDIA’S GUJARAT BRIDGE REPORTEDLY REOPENED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AS DEATH TOLL RISES TO 132

Mon 31 October 2022:

As rescuers worked through the night searching the Machhu River for survivors, the dead toll from the collapse of a colonial-era suspension bridge in India’s western Gujarat state has increased to 132, according to officials.

The number of fatalities increased from 68 on Sunday to 132 early on Monday, according to Gujarat’s home minister Harsh Sanghavi.

Gujarat’s Information Department said about 177 people had now been rescued, while 19 were receiving medical care.

Hundreds of sightseers celebrating Diwali and the Chhath Puja holidays, were on the 230-metre (755-foot) bridge when it collapsed on Sunday, according to local media.

Television footage showed dozens of people clinging onto the cables and twisted remains of the bridge as emergency teams struggled to rescue them.

The bridge in Morbi, a town some 200km (120 miles) west of Gujarat’s main city Ahmedabad, was built during British colonial rule in the 19th century and had been closed for renovations for nearly six months before it was reopened to the public last week.

Some clambered up the broken structure to try to make their way to the river banks, while others swam to safety. Several children were among the victims.

Reopened shead of schedule

According to NDTV, the bridge was opened to the public ahead of schedule by the private company maintaining it, documents reveal.

The repairs were carried out by the Gujarat-based Oreva group, which describes itself as the world’s largest clock manufacturer and makes lighting products and e-bikes.

Oreva was hired to maintain the historic colonial-era bridge in March. The bridge was reopened to the public seven months later, on October 26, when the Gujarati New Year was celebrated.

The company was bound by its contract to keep the bridge shut for at least eight to 12 months for maintenance and repairs.

After opening it before time, the company even sold tickets at R17, allegedly without ever securing a fitness certificate from the civic authorities.

NDTV has accessed the contract signed in March between the Morbi municipal authorities and Ajanta Manufacturing Private Limited, which is a part of the Oreva group.

Under the 15-year contract, the company would maintain the bridge and collect payment in the form of tickets. The agreement allowed the company to raise the ticket price every year till 2037.

Tickets were sold for Rs12 to Rs17 yesterday; there was no apparent crowd control, either by the private company or by the administration.

While opening the bridge last week, Oreva official Deepak Parekh had said that the company had done “100 per cent renovation in 2 crores”.

There were close to 500 people on the “hanging bridge” when the cables snapped on Sunday evening, sending hundreds tumbling into the river. The bridge could take the weight of only about 125 people. The crowd included women performing Chhath puja rituals, and scores of children.

The police are investigating lapses by the company, which has not commented so far. News agency PTI quoted a group spokesperson as stating that the bridge collapsed as “too many people in the mid-section of the bridge were trying to sway it from one way to the other.”

The bridge was earlier maintained by the Morbi municipality, which reportedly used to limit the number of people on the bridge at one time to 20.

Oreva’s office near Ahmedabad is shut. Outside, a sign says: “Clock, alarm clock, watch, telephone, calculator.”

On its website, Oreva showcases work like tiles, clocks, LEDs, designer panels and e-bikes.

It is not clear how the bridge was reopened to people without any apparent official approval.

Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghavi evaded NDTV’s questions on the bridge operating without a fitness certificate.

The Gujarat government has appointed a committee to investigate the bridge collapse and the factors leading up to it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Gujarat, his home state, for a three-day visit, announced a payment of 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,428) to families of the dead.

The injured will receive 50,000 Indian Rupees ($607), he said in a tweet.

Armenia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and others sent their condolences over the tragedy.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent