Morbi Bridge Collapse Death Toll Crosses 100, PM Cancels Ahmedabad Roadshow | Key Updates

At least 100 people, many of them women and children, have been confirmed dead after a 140-year-old suspension cable bridge on the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed on Sunday evening.

“More than 100 deaths have been reported till early morning.  Around 177 people have been rescued, 19 people are under treatment. Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF, Fire Brigade are conducting search operations,” News agency ANI quoted Gujarat Information Department as saying.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is touring poll-bound Gujarat, decided to cancel his roadshow in Ahmedabad in the wake of the tragic incident.

Chief minister Bhupendra Patel reached Morbi, even as the army, air force and navy were mobilised to join the massive rescue and relief operations underway. According to officials, the bridge had reopened to the public only four days ago after extensive repair work and renovation. They said there were close to 400 people on the British era structure when it snapped, and about 100 fell into the river.

Officials said the bridge was crammed with people, including local residents and tourists, as it is a major attraction in the area. Many people were in the city because of the Diwali holidays and the weekend, and the bridge may have collapsed under the weight of so many people, they added.

According to eyewitnesses and videos recorded by onlookers, many were hanging onto the cables of the bridge to save themselves from drowning. Many others were stuck in the shallow parts of the river in waist-deep water. Some people were seen jumping into the river to help people stuck on the bridge and rescue those who had fallen into the river.

One eyewitness said people fell over each other when the bridge collapsed. “I had come to the river bank along with friends after my office hours when we heard the sound of the bridge snapping. We rushed there and jumped into the water to save people,” the eyewitness said, adding he and his friends rescued some children and women.

A man who was injured in the incident said the collapse was sudden and might have been due to too many people on the bridge.

Here is all you need to know about the bridge collapse in Morbi and the ongoing rescue operations:

1. 100 deaths confirmed in the incident as on Monday early morning.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is touring poll-bound Gujarat, decided to cancel his roadshow in Ahmedabad in the wake of the tragic incident in which dozens were killed. The BJP Gujarat media cell said, “The Page Committee Sneh Milan program to be held in the virtual presence of Prime Minister Modi has been postponed.” Speaking to news agency ANI, BJP Gujarat media convenor Dr Yagnesh Dave said there will be no programmes of celebration on Monday in wake of the Morbi tragedy where many are feared dead, including women, children, and the elderly.
3. Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel reached Morbi late in the night and went to the site of the mishap to take stock of the situation. He cancelled all his programmes with Prime Minister Modi and rushed to Morbi. The state government has announced Rs 4 lakh for the kin of each deceased person, and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Patel visited the Morbi civil hospital where the injured are undergoing treatment.
4. There was massive mobilisation on the relief and rescue front with even the army, navy and air force being called in along with NDRF as well as SDRF teams. The fire brigade and local rescue teams were already at the spot. Garud Commandos from the Indian Air Force have been pressed into service, while marine commandoes and expert swimmers from the naval station in Valsura in Jamnagar are all part of the rescue operations.
5. An Indian Army team from an artillery brigade near Dhrangdhra, including doctors and paramedical staff, is at the accident site and is taking part in rescue and relief operations. Another army team with doctors and other relief material is reaching site shortly, said defence officials. An IAF plane with NDRF team joined the relief operations while another aircraft will also be sent in an hour’s time. “Helicopters are on standby for rescue operations in Jamnagar and nearby locations. Garud commandos have been sent from Bhuj and other locations for Morbi,” said defence officials.
6. The chief minister said there were teams of NDRF, SRPF platoon as well as navy, air force and army personnel. The chief minister’s office said three platoons of NDRF with 50 personnel of navy, 30 personnel of IAF along with two columns of army and seven teams of the fire brigade had left for Morbi with advanced equipment from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Diu and Surendranagar. It added that three SDRF as well as two platoons of State Reserve Police were also reaching Morbi while an isolation ward has been set up at Rajkot civil hospital for treatment.
7. NDRF director general Atul Karwal told PTI that the three teams have been moved from state capital Gandhinagar (two teams) and Vadodara (one team). He said each of the three teams comprises 30 rescuers and four boats and is led by senior officers. Another team will be airlifted in some time and it will move via road from Rajkot to the accident site, Karwal said. Gandhinagar is about 240 km from Morbi, Vadodara is more than 300 km away and Rajkot is about 70 km away.
8. According to officials, an SDRF team closer to Morbi was the first to reach the accident site and the NDRF was mobilised around 7.30 pm. NDRF rescuers will take around four-five hours to reach the spot, they said. The NDRF has asked the state government to ensure that its vehicles were given priority clearance on roads so that they can reach the spot as soon as possible.
9. Officials said the British era bridge might have collapsed due to the rush of tourists on the Diwali vacation and weekend. There were close to 400 people on the bridge when it snapped, and about 100 fell into the river. They said a private operator had carried out the repair work of the bridge for nearly six months before it was reopened to the public on the Gujarati New Year Day on October 26.
10. An official said the famous suspension bridge on the Machchhu river had not received the municipality’s “fitness certificate” after reopening to the public four days back. The bridge is more than a century old. “The bridge was given to Oreva company for operation and maintenance for 15 years. In March this year, it was closed for the public for renovation. It reopened after renovation on the Gujarati New Year day celebrated on October 26,” said chief officer of Morbi municipality Sandeepsinh Zala. “It was opened to the public after the completion of the renovation work. But the local municipality had not yet issued any fitness certificate (after the renovation work),” he added.
11. Prime Minister Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each deceased person. He also spoke with the CM and other officials and sought urgent mobilisation of teams for rescue operations, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “PM Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF (Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund) for the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives in the mishap in Morbi. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the PMO said in a series of tweets. The PMO said Modi had asked that the situation should be closely and continuously monitored, and all possible help should be extended to those affected.
12. President Droupadi Murmu and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed grief over the bridge collapse and prayed for the safe rescue of others. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he was deeply saddened by the incident and appealed to party workers to extend every possible assistance in rescue work. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi also said the news was saddening, and appealed to all Congress workers to help the injured.
13. Union home minister Amit Shah also expressed sadness at the incident. In a tweet, he said he had spoken to the home minister of Gujarat, Harsh Sanghvi, and other officials in this matter. “Local administration is fully engaged in relief work, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is also reaching the spot soon. The administration has been directed to provide immediate treatment to the injured,” Shah said. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adiityanath, too, expressed grief over the deaths and said, “Very sad news of a bridge collapsing has been received from Morbi in Gujarat. Praying to Shri Ram to help all the affected.”
14. Chief ministers of non-BJP states and opposition leaders also expressed grief over the tragic incident. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over the incident and condoled the deaths. Banerjee said she was praying for the speedy recovery of those injured. “I am deeply concerned about the tragic bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat, that has cost several innocent lives and left many trapped. My deep condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery,” she tweeted. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also extended their condolences to the bereaved families.
15. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi Party has launched a spirited poll campaign in Gujarat, also condoled the tragic deaths. Party leaders Manish Sisodia and Raghav Chadha also expressed their distress over the incident.
16. The Morbi “hanging bridge” is known to be an “engineering marvel” built at the turn of the 19th century. It was said to reflect “the progressive and scientific nature of the rulers of Morbi,” as per its description on the district collectorate website. Sir Waghji Thakor, who ruled Morbi till 1922, was inspired by the colonial influence and decided to construct the bridge, an “artistic and technological marvel” of that period, to connect Darbargadh Palace with Nazarbag Palace (the residences of the then royalty). The bridge was 1.25 metres wide and spanned 233 metres, and was meant to give a unique identity to Morbi using the latest technology available in those days in Europe, as per the collectorate website.

(With PTI inputs)

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