At least 60 people died Sunday evening in India, when a suspension bridge spanning a river collapsed in the state of Gujarat (west), said a member of the local government. “Sixty people died. More than 82 have been rescued,” said official Brijesh Merja.
The bridge over the Machchhu River, located in Morbi, about 200 kilometers west of Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s main city, dates back to British colonial times and had just reopened to the public after months of work.
More than 100 people still wanted
Authorities estimated that 500 people, including women and children, were on and around the bridge when the cables supporting it gave way. According to local officials quoted by media, people on the bridge were performing rituals as part of a religious festival. More than 100 people were still wanted, according to local media which showed videos of people catching hold of debris from the structure of the bridge in the dark. A rescue operation was launched, involving divers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Gujarat, where he is from, called for “the urgent mobilization of rescue teams”, and the provision of aid for all victims, his cabinet tweeted. Accidents on old and poorly maintained infrastructure are common in India, especially on bridges. In 2016, the rupture of a footbridge over a busy street in the city of Kolkata (east) caused the death of at least 26 people.