Morbi tragedy; Death toll rise to 133, PM Modi will visit the incident place
A 100-year-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Morbi, Gujarat, collapsed on Sunday evening, claiming 133 lives. About 177 people are missing. A criminal case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In a key development, the head of Morbi’s civic body has claimed that the bridge was reopened without the permission of the authorities. A case has been initiated under IPC sections 304, 308, and 114 against the collapse of the suspension bridge over the Macchu. The case is lodged against the agency responsible for the maintenance of the bridge, the agency involved in the management.
Rescue and search teams of the Indian Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the fire brigade and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are carrying out the rescue operations on a war footing. Chief minister Bhupendra Patel constituted a high power committee on Sunday while leaving Ahmedabad.
All officers, posted at different locations, were asked to report to Morbi by 2 am. Meanwhile, PM Modi is to visit the Morbi bridge collapse site on Tuesday. The Gujarat government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased, PM Narendra Modi dedicated a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of those killed in the mishap.
