Morbi bridge collapse: Toll 134, including 34 children; nine held for culpable homicide

Search and rescue on Monday at the site of the bridge collapse in Morbi.

The 135-year-old suspension bridge (Jhoolto Pul) collapsed on Sunday evening, four days after it was reopened, after being closed for over seven months for repair and renovation work.

Police have registered an FIR against the “agencies responsible for maintenance and management” of the bridge “along with others whose names may emerge during the course of the investigation” under IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).

Addressing a press conference, Rajkot Range IG Ashok Kumar Yadav said nine persons had been arrested in connection with the FIR. Giving details of those arrested, he said: “They are Deepakbhai Navinchandra Parekh and Dineshbhai Mahasukhrai Dave, both managers at Oreva; Mansukhbhai Valjibhai Topiya and Mahadevbhai Lakhabhai Solanki, both ticketing clerks; and Prakashbhai Laljibhai Parmar and Devangbhai Prakashbhai Parmar, bridge repair contractors. Three security guards who were responsible for regulating the footfall have also been arrested for their negligent act.”

According to Deputy SP P A Zala, an investigating officer in the case, the three security guards are: “Alpeshbhai Galabhai Gohil, Dilipbhai Galabhai Gohil and Mukeshbhai Dalsingbhai Chauhan, all residents of Kamavira village in Dahod”.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi, at the Morbi Civil hospital meeting survivors of the Jhoolta Pul collapse incident.

The FIR, lodged on a complaint filed by a police inspector, states that the bridge collapsed “due to mechanical failure or any other reason due to lack of proper repair, maintenance or management” and “the persons/ agencies carrying out the repair, maintenance and management of this bridge have not properly repaired/ maintained and checked quality of the bridge with due care.”

“Due to their gross negligence and careless act of mismanagement, and despite knowing the threat to the life of citizens, the bridge was opened on October 26, due to which the unfortunate incident happened,” says the FIR.

People cling on to the collapsed suspension bridge in Morbi. The structure on the Machchhu river was a century old. (Express Photo)

According to the FIR, the bridge was closed “nearly eight months ago” for maintenance work. “Nearly 250-300 people” were on the bridge when it collapsed, and “most of them fell in the river”, it says.

According to the Morbi Municipality, the bridge did not have a fitness certificate as the Oreva Group had not notified it about the reopening.

The disaster control room said 134 people were reported dead by 5:30 pm on Monday, with four persons still reported missing. Morbi Collector G T Pandya said at least two persons were still missing. Pandya said 17 injured were still in hospital, while 73 had been discharged.

The government said in a statement that over 200 people had been rescued since Sunday. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and fire brigades of Rajkot and Morbi have been pressed into service.

Two policemen overlook rescue operations underway over the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi after the bridge collapse. (Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran)

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Gujarat on a three-day visit, chaired a high-level meeting in Gandhinagar to review the situation. He is scheduled to visit Morbi on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and State Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi among others. The Gujarat government has decided to observe state mourning on Wednesday.

Patel and Sanghavi had reached Morbi late on Sunday evening to supervise the rescue and relief operations. Brijesh Merja, Morbi MLA and Minister of State for Panchayat, and Mohan Kundariya, BJP MP from Rajkot who is also a resident of Morbi, also coordinated the rescue and relief work from the river bank. Twelve members of Kundariya’s extended family were among those killed.

Search and rescue operations were hampered by the thick layer of water hyacinth floating on the surface, and the filth, mainly domestic sewage, in the river. Rescue teams were seen cutting the weed in an effort to improve underwater visibility, while divers scoured the river beds.

Rescue work in progress in Morbi on Monday, a day after Jhoolto Pul came crashing down, killing 134 people. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

In Delhi, NDRF DIG (operations) Mohsen Shahidi said five teams, from Gandhinagar and Vadodara, had been sent so far. “More than 130 bodies have been recovered. Three persons are still said to be missing. The operation should get over by tomorrow,” said a senior NDRF officer.

The officer said the filth in the river was impeding rescue operations. “Even after diving, nothing is visible. Though we have experience of diving in murky waters, this is by far the dirtiest we have encountered,” he said.