India bridge collapse toll jumps to 134, police detain nine people - Reuters India

MORBI, India, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The decease toll from a ft span illness successful India roseate to 134 connected Monday, including galore children, arsenic constabulary detained 9 radical arsenic portion of a transgression probe into 1 of the deadliest accidents successful the state successful the past decade.

CCTV footage from conscionable earlier the illness showed a radical of young men taking photos portion others tried to stone the suspension bridge from broadside to side, earlier they tumbled into the stream beneath arsenic the cables holding it unneurotic gave way.

Police successful the occidental authorities of Gujarat, wherever the catastrophe occurred, told Reuters they had detained 9 radical aft registering a transgression lawsuit against unnamed radical liable for the renovation, attraction and absorption of the bridge.

Senior constabulary authoritative Ashok Yadav said details of those detained radical would beryllium fixed aboriginal successful the day.

Ashwin Mehra, who was undergoing attraction aft sustaining limb and backmost injuries erstwhile helium plunged from the bridge, said helium and six others had reached the enactment by holding onto the bridge's metallic railings and netting.

"Some 15-20 mischievous young kids were shaking the ropes of the bridge. Three times a sound came from the span earlier it collapsed," helium told Reuters TV spouse ANI.

Local officials told Reuters the manager of the bridge, a institution making clocks and electrical items, had not informed the authorities that the span would beryllium reopened past week aft repairs, adding that nary certificate that it was acceptable for nationalist usage had been issued.

The colonial-era footbridge implicit the Machchhu River successful the centre of Morbi municipality was packed with sightseers enjoying vacation festivities erstwhile it collapsed connected Sunday evening, plunging radical astir 10 metres (33 feet) into the river.

Some 400 radical had bought tickets to get onto the span to observe the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals.

About 35 victims were nether 14, according to a database of the deceased seen by Reuters. About 170 radical had been rescued by the morning.

"People were hanging from the span aft the accident, but they slipped and fell into the stream erstwhile it collapsed," said Raju, an witnesser who gave lone 1 name. "I could not slumber the full nighttime arsenic I had helped successful the rescue operation. I brought a batch of children to the hospital."

Narendrasinh Jadeja, whose person mislaid seven members of his family, including 4 children, said: "I cannot explicit however aggravated and helpless I americium feeling."

Senior authorities authoritative NK Muchhar said the decease toll had gone up to 134. Another authoritative said astatine the tract that the river's muddy waters were hampering rescue enactment and that determination mightiness beryllium radical trapped nether the remains of the bridge.

MODI DUE TO VISIT

Gujarat-based electrical appliances shaper Oreva group, known for its Ajanta clocks, had been successful complaint of maintaining the span for 15 years, said Sandeepsinh Zala, the main serviceman of Morbi municipality.

"They did not springiness america immoderate accusation that they were reopening the bridge," Zala said. "We person not issued immoderate fittingness certificate to them."

Jayrajsinh Jadeja, a section lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, blamed Oreva for selling tickets without restrictions and said overcrowding led to the span collapse.

The span was antecedently maintained by the section municipality, which constricted the fig of radical connected the span astatine 1 clip to 20, helium said.

An Oreva spokesperson did not reply calls and substance messages from Reuters.

The Indian Express paper quoted an Oreva spokesperson arsenic saying: "While we are waiting for much information, prima facie, the span collapsed arsenic excessively galore radical successful the mid-section of the span were trying to sway it from 1 mode to the other."

Modi, the erstwhile main curate of Gujarat, expressed his condolences to the victims' families and is expected to sojourn Morbi connected Tuesday.

"In this hr of grief, the authorities is with the bereaved families successful each manner," helium said astatine an lawsuit successful Gujarat.

The span is 1.25 metres (4 feet) wide and spans 233 metres (255 yards), connecting the Darbargadh Palace practice edifice and the town. It was built successful 1877 erstwhile India was a British colony.

Opposition politicians successful Gujarat, wherever elections are owed by aboriginal adjacent year, said the catastrophe exposed the deficiency of oversight of infrastructure successful the country.

"Not conscionable highly bittersweet connected span illness successful Morbi but besides precise angry. Because it was a calamity successful waiting," Gurdeep Singh Sappal, a subordinate of the Congress party, wrote connected Twitter. "For immoderate clip now, span collapse, roads caving-in, dams breaching are happening rather often."

Writing by Sudipto Ganguly successful Mumbai; Editing by Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle, Edmund Klamann and Alison Williams

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