In India, a bridge collapses and kills at least 132

INDIA – The results of this tragedy are still provisional. At least 132 people died this Sunday, October 30 in Indiawhen a hanging bridge dating from the colonial era collapsed when the cables that supported it gave way, in the state of Gujarat, in the west of the country, announced to AFP a member of the local government.

“So far, 132 people have died in the bridge collapse. We have not yet received the list of deceased persons”Rajkot District Inspector General Ashok Kumar Yadav said Monday morning. According to district administration sources, most of the deceased are women and children. A previous toll reported at least 75 dead, mostly people who drowned.

Up to 500 people on deck

Local officials quoted by local media estimated that up to 500 people could be on the Morbi bridge when it collapsed, while its occupants engaged in religious rituals.

Quickly, a vast rescue operation was launched, involving divers, boats and dozens of soldiers. On Twitter, the Indian Prime Minister’s Office asked “the urgent mobilization of rescue teams”and the provision of aid for all victims.

The state government has appointed a team of five investigators to determine the causes of the bridge collapse, Ashok Kumar Yadav added. A complaint against X for manslaughter has been filed.

At least 15 people are hospitalized. Morbi police chief P. Dekavadiya told AFP that more than 130 people had been rescued.

A newly renovated bridge

“People were falling on top of each other when the bridge broke. They had gathered there for rituals because of the Diwali festival. There are many women and children among the victims.told an unidentified witness quoted by a local media.

On social networks, many videos already show the victims falling in the waters of the river Macchu, while others try to extricate themselves from the river by clinging to the wires of the bridge.

This bridge, built in the 19th century (when India was still under British rule) had just reopened after seven months of renovation, as the BBC recalls. The 233-meter-long suspension bridge was built in 1880 with materials brought from England, according to local media.

In response to this drama, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, passing through his native state of Gujarat for a three-day visit, said “deeply saddened by the tragedy”. He has already announced compensation for the injured, as well as for the relatives of those who died.

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