Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the Morbi district in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where a bridge collapse has claimed the lives of more than a hundred people in one of the worst catastrophes in years.
The colonial-era bridge crumbled into the Machchu river on Sunday, just days after reopening following renovations.
On Tuesday, search and rescue activities on the river resumed.
Nine persons have been arrested, including employees of a company entrusted to repair the bridge.
The 230-meter (754-foot) Machchu river bridge was constructed during British control in the 19th century.
The bridge, which was a significant local tourist attraction and was described as an “artistic and technological marvel” on the state’s tourism website, reopened last week after being closed for months for maintenance.
Several hundred individuals were reportedly on the structure when it fell on Sunday at approximately 18:40 India time (13:10 GMT).
Witnesses recounted chaotic images of individuals clinging to the wreckage while waiting for rescue services to arrive.
Some attempted to swim to the riverbanks and were able to survive, while many more were swept away by the swift water.
On Monday, the authorities reported that at least 141 persons had been killed, but later lowered that figure to 135 without explaining.
According to officials, the majority of victims were women, children, and the elderly.
Before Modi’s arrival
By Geeta Pandey, Morbi, Gujarat
Since it was announced that Mr. Modi will be visiting Morbi on Tuesday afternoon, officials have been diligently preparing the city.
The streets are being swept, the bridge where the prime minister will first arrive is blocked by police and administration officials, and the facilities where he will meet the injured are being sanitized.
I observed personnel delivering new mattresses and clean sheets to injured patients at the government-run civic hospital that I visited in the morning.
Life is slowly returning to normal for the residents of the town; stores are reopening and there is traffic on the streets.
Jhulto Pul, one of the town’s most popular tourist destinations and the site of Sunday’s tragedy, is currently tranquil.
Only the purring engines of rescue boats can be heard as they continue to crisscross the murky river waters in search of additional bodies.
On Monday, teams of disaster response personnel and the Indian military paddled through the river’s murky waters and mangrove bushes in search of the missing. Hundreds of locals also participated in the relief operations, while distraught family members sought for missing loved ones.
By dusk, 134 bodies had been recovered by the rescuers. The search operations were halted for the night but resumed on Tuesday, with rescue teams arriving at the scene early in the morning.
At least 170 individuals have been saved thus far. A police official present at the scene stated that the search would continue until everyone was found.
Mr. Modi, whose home state is Gujarat, expressed “deep sorrow” over the tragedy. Wednesday has been designated as a day of mourning by the state administration.
After questions were raised regarding whether safety checks were conducted before the reopening of the bridge, authorities pledged a thorough investigation.
The nine individuals arrested, according to the police, are all affiliated with Oreva group, the company entrusted to maintain and manage the bridge.
Two managers, two ticket clerks, two contractors, and three security guards have been charged with negligence leading to the tragic event.
According to senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav, they are being investigated for homicide not amounting to murder.
The company has been accused of various violations, including allegedly failing to get a municipal fitness certificate.
Oreva has not answered the collapse-related questions. Some have asked whether the company’s top executives will also be probed.
The catastrophe, the biggest in the country in many years, has devastated the inhabitants of Morbi, a charming village renowned for its robust ceramics industry.
Even as the search for survivors continued on Monday, the two largest crematoriums in the city were filled. In instances where entire families were wiped off by the accident, the people performed their death rites.
Several more reportedly remained missing as of Tuesday.
Siddique, who accompanied his friend to view the bridge, claims he has been searching for him since Sunday night.
“When it collapsed, we were standing in the middle of the bridge. I clutched to a piece of the broken bridge and escaped, but I have no idea where my friend is “He claims.
