Morbi bridge collapse: Hopes fade for survivors in Gujarat tragedy

A rescue cognition - begun aft a pedestrian suspension span collapsed successful India's occidental authorities of Gujarat - has been scaled down arsenic hopes slice of much survivors being found.

Officials accidental 141 radical - astir of them women, children oregon aged - died aft the span collapsed connected Sunday evening.

The operation successful Morbi municipality had reopened conscionable a week agone aft repairs.

There was overcrowding connected the span - a large tourer attraction successful Morbi - astatine the time, officials said.

Police are questioning 8 radical successful transportation with the incident, a constabulary authoritative confirmed to BBC Gujarati. Those being questioned included information unit and summons sellers.

The idiosyncratic refused to corroborate whether officials from Oreva Group, the steadfast which was successful complaint of maintaining the bridge, are besides being questioned.

Questions person been raised implicit wherefore Oreva Group, a institution which erstwhile described itself arsenic the "world's largest timepiece manufacturing company" - earlier it besides began making lighting products, artillery operated bikes, location appliances and TV sets - was fixed work for maintaining a bridge.

Concerns person besides been raised astir whether information checks were done earlier the span was reopened.

The 230m (754ft)-bridge connected the Machchhu stream was built successful 1880, during British regularisation successful India.

In question brochures, a sojourn to the Julto Pul (or the Hanging Bridge) is listed among "the apical 10 things to bash successful Morbi" and it attracts a ample fig of tourists and section radical connected holidays and astatine festivals.

Officials person not yet said however galore radical were connected the span erstwhile calamity struck astatine astir 18:40 (13:10 GMT) connected Sunday, but estimates enactment it betwixt 400 and 500.

More than 177 radical person been rescued, officials said.

On Monday morning, a twelve boats with members of the nationalist and authorities catastrophe effect teams searched for survivors portion divers from the Indian navy were connected standby, reported the BBC Gujarati's Roxy Gagdekar who was astatine the scene.

Four cranes were deployed to propulsion retired the wreckage and rescuers looked for bodies trapped underneath.

Distressed relatives searched for their loved ones and arsenic the hours passed, their desperation grew, our analogous said.

"I was holding her manus erstwhile the span collapsed and we fell into the river. I survived and person been looking for her everywhere, I went to the authorities infirmary also, but my sister is obscurity to beryllium found," helium said, sobbing.

A video changeable earlier the illness showed the overcrowded span swaying portion radical gripped the netting connected its sides.

After the incident, dozens were seen clinging onto the wreckage arsenic exigency teams attempted to rescue them. Some survivors clambered up the bridge's breached netting, and others managed to aquatics to the stream banks.

Early Monday morning, rescuers made an opening successful a tiny cheque dam connected the river, astir 500 metres downstream, to trim the h2o flow.

The span supra the dam was packed with people, waiting to perceive quality of their loved ones.

Gujarat is the location authorities of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has announced compensation for the families of victims. He said helium was "deeply saddened by the tragedy".

"I explicit my condolences to families of those who mislaid their lives successful the accident. In this hr of grief, the authorities is with the bereaved families successful each manner," Mr Modi said connected Monday astatine an lawsuit successful the state.

He added that a committee had been acceptable up to analyse the collapse.

Leader of the absorption Congress enactment Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded an enquiry headed by a retired justice to ascertain however the span collapsed wrong conscionable "five-six days" of being reopened aft renovations and who allowed truthful galore radical connected it.

Prateek Vasava was connected the span astatine the time. He told 24 Hours, a Gujarati-language quality channel, however helium had swum to the stream bank.

Several children fell into the river, helium said, adding: "I wanted to propulsion immoderate of them on with maine but they had drowned oregon got swept away."

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