The suspension bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi city, which collapsed on Sunday, killing over 130 people (mostly women, children and the elderly), was opened after renovations without procuring a “fitness certificate” from civic authorities, as per reports.
Just four days into its reopening, the bridge on Machchhu river saw a huge rush of tourists on Sunday and is said to have snapped as it could not bear the weight of the people standing on it. 132 people have been reported dead so far, while more bodies are reportedly being fished out.
Hailed as “an engineering marvel”, the century-old bridge had been under renovation for over six months and was opened for the public on Gujarati New Day on October 26.
Private group Oreva had been entrusted with repair work. It was opened to the public after the completion of the renovation work. But the local municipality had not yet issued any fitness certificate (after the renovation work), an official said.
Morbi chief security officer Sandeepsinh Zala said that the bridge was opened to the public without notifying the government.
“The bridge was given to Oreva company for operation and maintenance for 15 years. In March this year, it was closed for the public for renovation. It reopened on Gujarati new year celebrated on October 26,” Zala was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.
“We have no idea whether the fitness certificate was issued to the company for opening the bridge or not,” he said, adding that authorities have no information on the kind of material which were used by the company for renovation works.
“It was a government tender. Oreva group was supposed to give its renovation details and get a quality check before opening the bridge. But it did not do so. The government was not aware about this,” Zala was quoted as saying by NDTV.
A spokesperson for the Oreva Group told the Indian Express, “While we are waiting for more information, prima facie, the bridge collapsed as too many people in the mid-section of the bridge were trying to sway it from one way to the other.”
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said that the state government has formed a committee to probe the collapse. An FIR was also lodged in the bridge collapse under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (intentional act causing death) and 114 (abettor present when offence committed), against whoever is found responsible, Sanghavi said.
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