No person reported missing in bridge collapse, says govt, winds up search and rescue ops

The announced marked the end of five-day-long search and rescue operations which were launched in Machchhu river after more than 300 people plunged into the river as one of the cables of the historic Jhulto Pul snapped and its deck collapsed consequently late on Suday eveing. NDRF, SDRF, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force, the Indian Coast Guard, fire brigade of Rajkot Municipal Corporation and local fire staff had launched the search and rescue operations after one of the worst man-made disasters in Morbi’s history. As many as 272 people were rescued but 135 others were killed. No survivor or body was found since late Monday afternoon. But search and rescue operations continued till late Thursday evening in search of a man named Gurmit Singh was reported missing.

Officers said the disaster control room of the Morbi district had received a phone call saying one Gurmit Singh had gone missing while visiting the cable-stayed bridge. But on Thursday, Morbi district collector GT Pandya said that call was found to be hoax. “The control room had received a phone call. We traced the phone call and with the help of police, conducted detailed investigations. Today morning, police submitted a report to us, concluding the call was not official but of the type which can be called fraud,” Pandya told journalists.

The collector added that police tried to contact even the family of said person but no one was found to be of the given name. “Therefore, on the basis of that report, we are not considering that person as missing,” Pandya said, adding the district administration had operationalised one control-room each in general hospital run by the state government and in collector office for reporting missing persons and seeking information about surviviors and victims. He said all the phone calls had been addressed.

The collector added that rescuers used underwater cameras to scan the bed of the river before deciding there was nothing to be found in the river.

The deck of the 137-year-old bridge constructed by the erstwhile royal family of Morbi in 1887 had plunged into Machchhu on Sunday evening as one of its steel cables snapped. While 272 people were rescued, 135 including 34 children and 40 women died.

Meanwhile, the royal family performed a yagna for peace of souls of the 135 killed in the accident in Durbargadh, the court of the erstwhile rulers.

It was in the Durbargadh compound that the western edges of the two steel cables supporting the suspension bridge were anchored. Meerabapa, the princess of the erstwhile royal family, presided over the ritual and made offerings for the peace of the souls of those killed in the accident. Later on, she offered floral tributes in front of the photo of the collapsed bridge.

The yagna came a day after the family had announced Rs 1 lakh ex gratia compensation as a gesture of relief to the kin of those killed in the incident.