Days after reopening, what was supposed to be an engineering marvel, Gujarat’s hanging bridge in Morbi collapsed on Sunday, killing over 130 people and injuring several. Several teams of Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF, and Fire Brigade are conducting search and rescue operations in Morbi. Notably, worked upon by a private company at the cost of Rs 2 crore, the colonial-era bridge on the Machchhu river caved in around 6.30 pm when it was crammed with people.
Here’s all you need to know about Morbi’s hanging bridge:
Morbi bridge is also called Julto Pul (Hanging bridge).
The bridge was over 140 years old.
It was built during British rule in India in the 19th century and was inaugurated in 1879.
It was about 230 metres long and 4.6 feet wide.
In March this year, the bridge was closed for people for renovation.
A private firm was given the contract to renovate the Morbi bridge.
The bridge was reopened on October 26 without a fitness certificate.
To go on the bridge, people had to buy tickets priced at Rs 12 & Rs 17.
The bridge’s capacity was 150 people who had to be kept moving.
On the day of the collapse, 675 tickets were sold, which is five times the carrying capacity of 150 people
At the time when the tragedy occurred around 350 people were there on the Morbi bridge.
Morbi tragedy
As of now, more than 130 people died and several have been injured after a cable bridge collapsed on the Machchhu river in the Morbi area on Sunday. Around 177 people have been rescued. 19 people are under treatment.
Indian Army teams deployed in Morbi, Gujarat are carrying out search and rescue operations for survivors of the mishap. All three defence services have deployed their teams for search operations. Three Indian Coast Guard teams consisting of divers, equipment, boats and other material have been deployed on-site at Morbi since last night.
It is pertinent to mention that cases have been registered against the bridge management team. “Cases under sections 304, 308 and 114 of IPC have been registered on the management team of the bridge,” Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Sunday.
