60 dead in India Bridge Collapse, Gujarat State
Newslooks- NEW DELHI (AP)
At least 60 people have died after a suspension bridge collapsed in India.
More than 150 people were on the suspension bridge over the Machhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi district in india, when it collapsed into the water.
Government officials confirmed the death toll after hundreds of people plunged into the river below following the collapse.
The footbridge over the Machhu river in the town of Morbi in India’s western Gujarat state collapsed on Sunday, just days after being reopened following renovations.
Authorities said more than 150 people were on the suspension bridge at the time.
Footage broadcast by local TV channel Zee News showed people clinging onto the cables of the collapsed bridge as emergency teams sought to rescue them.
Mobile video footage shot by passers-by and shared on social media showed scores of people, including children, scrambling to climb out of the water and back up the twisted structure of the broken bridge to safety.
Officials said the victims are mostly local people who were visiting the bridge for recreational purposes.
Local media reports said hundreds plunged into the Machchu river when the bridge in the state’s Morbi district collapsed. It was not immediately clear how many people were on the bridge.
The accident comes just days after the 19th-century, colonial-era bridge was reopened to the public after renovation. Officials told PTI the bridge gave way as it could not handle the number of people on it.
“Due to the bridge collapse, several people fell into the river. A rescue operation is underway,” state minister Brijesh Merja said. “There are reports that several people have suffered injuries. They are being rushed to hospitals.”
Videos on social media showed people clinging onto the partly submerged bridge in distress while another showed people swimming to safety.
Rescue operations are underway, with three National Disaster Response Force Teams rushed to the site, local media reported.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in his home state of Gujarat on a visit, said he was “deeply saddened by the tragedy.” His office announced compensation to the families of the dead and urged for speedy rescue efforts.
