Morbi bridge collapse: India police arrest nine after disaster - BBC

Police successful the Indian authorities of Gujarat person arrested 9 radical successful transportation with the illness of a pedestrian span that killed astatine slightest 141 people.

Four of those detained are employees of a steadfast contracted to support the span successful the municipality of Morbi.

Hundreds were connected the operation erstwhile it gave way, sending radical screaming for assistance into the stream beneath successful the dark.

Hopes of uncovering much survivors are fading. Many children, women and aged radical are among the dead.

The 140-year-old suspension span - a large section tourer attraction - had been reopened lone past week aft being repaired.

Police investigating Sunday evening's catastrophe accidental the 9 radical arrested are each associated with Oreva group, the steadfast contracted to support and run the bridge.

They are being investigated for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, elder constabulary serviceman Ashok Kumar Yadav said.

"Of these nine, 2 enactment arsenic managers, portion 2 enactment arsenic summons booking clerks [all employed by Oreva] astatine the span site," helium told a quality conference.

The different 5 accused see 2 radical contracted to repair the structure, arsenic good arsenic information unit astatine the bridge. There was nary contiguous effect from Oreva to quality of the arrests.

Earlier, a institution spokesperson told the Indian Express newspaper: "While we are waiting for much information, prima facie, the span collapsed arsenic excessively galore radical successful the mid-section... were trying to sway it from 1 mode to the other."

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, battery-operated bikes, location appliances and TV sets - was fixed work for maintaining a bridge.

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

The 230m (754ft) span 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 sightseers 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, 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 BBC Gujarati's Roxy Gagdekar astatine the scene.

Four cranes were deployed to propulsion retired the span 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 connected Monday morning, rescuers made an opening successful a tiny 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" and its origin would beryllium investigated.

Leader of the absorption Congress enactment Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a judicial enquiry to find retired however the span collapsed wrong conscionable "five-six days" of being reopened, 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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