The death toll has risen to 134 after a suspension bridge collapsed in India’s western state of Gujarat on Sunday, as authorities revealed the structure had only recently reopened following repairs.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said Monday some 200 people are estimated to have been on the bridge in the town of Morbi when it collapsed into the river below on Sunday evening. A cable at one end appears to have snapped, he added.
The state of Gujarat has lodged a criminal complaint against the agency that was handling the maintenance of the 230-meter long bridge, which was built in the 19th century and reopened last week after renovations, he said.
Photos from the scene Monday showed people gathering on the bank of the river Machchhu beside the mangled metal walkway, which hung at a sharp angle into the water, where rescue workers in inflatable dinghies searched for survivors.
A five-person special investigation committee has been established to investigate the incident, Sanghavi said, amid an ongoing search and rescue operation by hundreds of personnel from state and national disaster relief teams and the Indian military.
Speaking at a news conference in the early hours of Monday, Sanghavi did not say how many people are missing, but social media video showed dozens in the water following the collapse of the bridge.
