At least 141 people have been killed by the collapse of a suspension bridge over a river in the Indian state of Gujarat, in the west of the country, according to the latest balance sheet provided by the authorities, which shows that 19 people have been admitted to hospital in serious condition.
Another 177 people were reportedly rescued, although rescue teams have been working all night in the area to locate those who are still missing, according to the local television channel NDTV.
According to eyewitnesses, some 500 people, including women and children, were crossing the bridge when the cables supporting it broke and they all fell into the water. Many of them were reportedly performing Chhath rituals of the Vedic religion.
The Indian channel reports that in the videos broadcast about the event it can be seen how some people rush over others and how some try to cling to the remains of the bridge while others swim to safety.
The Morbi suspension bridge, over the Machchhu river, was a historic structure from the British colonial era that was restored and reopened to the public just four days ago on the occasion of the Gujarati New Year celebration after being closed for seven months.
The state government has taken responsibility for the tragedy in statements made by the state Minister for Employment, Housing and Development, Rusal Brijesh Merja, to NDTV, who said he was «shocked by what happened».
Merja confirmed the arrival of three platoons of rescue forces, 50 Indian Navy personnel as well as two columns of Army personnel and seven Fire Brigade teams from Rajkot, Jamnagar and Diu.
Following the collapse, dozens of people were reportedly submerged and authorities do not rule out that some of them could still be trapped under the debris. However, rescue efforts have been hampered by nightfall.
For the time being, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has announced aid to the families of the deceased and ordered a special rescue deployment to assist those affected by the tragedy, in an area that is difficult to access by road.
The National Relief Fund under the Prime Minister’s office has announced the granting of 20,000 rupees (about 244 euros) in aid to the families of the victims.
The opposition has blamed the accident on the ruling Bharatiya Hanata Party (BJP), calling for a commission of inquiry and claiming that the bridge did not have the necessary municipal authorization to reopen.
