Morbi city in Gujarat is home to a century-old suspension cable bridge. This bridge on the Machchhu river faced an unfortunate accident. It collapsed on Sunday and the accident killed 132 tourists, as shared by the officials. Hundreds of tourists were on the cable bridge when this horrifying incident took place. Rescue operations are currently undergoing.
A Cable Bridge In Gujarat’s Morbi Snapped Causing The Death Of Hundreds Of Tourists
It was around 6:30 pm on Sunday when this horrifying accident occurred. The suspension bridge on the Machchhu river had some renovations recently and it was closed because of the construction. It opened its doors just about 4 days back on 26 October and the crowd on the last day was massive. As per a report by News18, almost 400 people were there on the suspension bridge during the incident. Right when the cable bridge collapsed, almost 100 tourists tumbled down and fell directly into the Machchhu river.
Here’s a video of the dreadful accident shared on Twitter by Y Satish Reddy.
CCTV footage of moment before #Morbi bridge collapse. Deeply painful! 👇 pic.twitter.com/vtzuPvQ4B8
— YSR (@ysathishreddy) October 31, 2022
Also read: Mumbai’s Byculla To Get A Stunning Cable Bridge With Themed-Lighting And Selfie Point
As shared by Harsh Sanghavi, the state Home Minister, the rescue operation is currently going on. According to the Gujarat Information Department, the rescue operations are run by Air Force, Army, Navy, Fire Brigade, and NDRF, shared on India.com.
The Suspension Bridge Reopened On 26 October
The doors of this cable bridge on the Machchhu river were closed for 7 months as some construction and renovation were going on. A private firm worked on the development for this period of time. After the renovation of 7 months, it opened to the public on the Gujarati New Year, shared by Sandeepsinh Zala, the Chief Officer of Morbi municipality. An official shared that the suspension bridge did not receive the issued ‘fitness certificate’ from the municipality.
Many onlookers have captured videos of the moment that are making several rounds on various social media platforms. It is truly a very disappointing and saddening incident where so many innocent people lost their lives. Family members of the people who lost their lives will get compensation of ₹4 lakh from the state government. And the families of the injured people will receive a compensation of ₹50,000.
Cover Image Courtesy: Twitter/ YSR @ysathishreddy