The death toll in the Morbi bridge collapse rose to 134 on Monday, a senior Gujarat Police official said, with rescue operations still underway.
The over a century-old bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi, around 300 km from Gandhinagar, had reopened five days ago after extensive repairs and renovation. It was crammed with people when it collapsed at 6:30 pm on Sunday.
"The death toll in the bridge collapse has gone up to 134," Rajkot Range Inspector General Ashok Yadav told PTI.
The state information department said five teams of the National Disaster Response Force, six platoons of the State Disaster Response Force, a team of the Indian Air Force, two columns of the Indian Army, and two teams of the Indian Navy, apart from local rescue teams, were involved in the operation that continued through the night.
"The rescue operation is still on," Yadav said.
The state government has formed a committee to conduct a probe into the bridge collapse, Junior Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Monday. He and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel have been camping in Morbi since last night.
According to eyewitnesses, there were several women and children on the British-era "hanging bridge" when it snapped, plunging them into the water below. Apart from locals, people from nearby cities and villages had also come to the bridge on a holiday when it collapsed.
Due to the Diwali vacation and being a Sunday, there was a rush of tourists on the bridge, a major tourist attraction.
Before the collapse, some people were seen jumping on the bridge and pulling its big wires, an eyewitness said, adding that the bridge may have collapsed due to the “huge crowd” on it. People fell over each other when the bridge collapsed, he said. Several of the victims were seen hanging by the edge of the bridge to prevent themselves from slipping into the river.
After the collapse, all that remained of the bridge was part of the metal carriageway hanging down from one end into the river water, its thick cables snapped in places.
At the local hospital, people formed a human chain to hold back crowds and keep the road clear for ambulances which brought those rescued.
A private operator had carried out the repair work of the bridge for nearly seven months before it was reopened for the public on on Oct. 26, the Gujarati New Year day. The bridge was reopened after a private inaugural event and was yet to receive the municipality's "fitness certificate", a civic official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently in Gujarat, spoke to CM Patel and other officials, his office said in a tweet. He will visit Morbi on Tuesday.
The prime minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to each of the injured, the PMO said. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Following the accident, PM Modi cancelled his roadshow scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad on Monday ahead of the state assembly elections, BJP sources said. He will attend a programme to launch some railway projects in Ahmedabad.
A "page committee sammelan", scheduled to be held on Tuesday in Modi's virtual presence, has been put off, the sources said.
The prime minister will visit Morbi on Tuesday, according to PTI.
The Congress said its "Parivartan Sankalp Yatra", which was to be taken out from five zones across the state on Monday, was postponed by a day following the bridge collapse.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
