A suspension bridge over the Macchu River in Morbi, Gujarat state, western India, collapsed yesterday afternoon while hundreds of people crossed it with a provisional balance of 132 fatalities, more than fifty injured, as many rescued and an undetermined number of disappeared. A dozen people clung to the structure of the bridge while the assistance teams tried to rescue them.
The bridge – known as Julto Pul – reopened last week after six months of repairs. The structure, which is almost 150 years old, could only be used by pedestrians: road traffic is prohibited. One of the reasons why the suspension bridge could have collapsed is that there were too many people at the time of the accident, according to eyewitnesses. Among those crossing were many women and children.
In a second phase of the rescue, the dredging machines were trying to locate fatalities at the bottom, where there was a lot of mud. As the hours passed, the theory that the bridge was overloaded took shape. The bridge was inaugurated on February 20, 1879 by the then Governor of India Richard Temple. Considered a great work of engineering, in 2001 its structure was damaged by an earthquake.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on social media that rescue operations were underway and spoke of financial aid for the injured and the families of the dead. “I am deeply saddened by the Morbi suspension bridge tragedy. Rescue and assistance teams have gone to the area ”, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupender Patel reported as soon as he heard about the accident.
