Morbi Bridge collapse in Gujarat Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Morbi tragedy site on Tiesday. He inspected the collapse site via an aerial survey and also visited the site himself with some top senior officials to take stock of the situation. The PM will also be meeting the injured who were admitted to the hospital.
meanwhile, The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a PIL demanding a court-monitored judicial inquiry into the Morbi bridge collapse. The top court would hear the plea on November 14th.
Watch CCTV footage of the exact moment the bridge collapsed:
The tragic incident that unfolded on Sunday led to the death of at least 135 people. The PM is on a three-day visit to Gujarat ahead of the state Assembly polls. He had earlier paid tributes to the people who died in the horrific incident. The suspension bridge on the Machchu river collapsed on Sunday evening. The CCTV footage showed people shaking the bridge post which, it came crashing down.
Also Read | Morbi bridge collapse: ‘Never seen anything like this’ — Eyewitnesses recount night of horror that claimed over 130 lives
In March, the local Morbi government gave a 15-year contract to the Oreva group to maintain the bridge. The Oreva group includes companies which make clocks, mosquito zappers and electric bikes. The bridge was closed the same month for repairs.
In fact, it has been repaired many times, which also involved replacing of original parts over the years. The bridge was then reopened on October 26th. Sandeepsinh Zala, a Morbi official, told the Indian Express that Oreva reopened the bridge without obtaining a fitness certificate first.
The investigation of the accident has led to the arrest of at least nine people on charges of culpable homicide. Two of the people who have been arrested are managers of the Oreva Group.
Here are the highlights of PM Modi’s visit to the Morbi’s bridge collapse site.
(With Agency Inputs)
Morbi Bridge Collapse Live: The Oreva Group is being invistigated after a 140-year-old suspension bridge collapsed in Gujarat's Morbi that claimed over 130 lives on Sunday.
During the high-level review meet, PM Modi said that there is a need for a detailed inquiry into the causes of the Morbi bridge tragedy. He has also directed the officials to implement the findings at the soonest. He also told the local administration to keep in touch with the families of the victims and the survivors to provide all necessary help.
The Aam Aadmi Party took to Twitter to post a short clip of people covering up the poster of Oreva, the company that was responsible for the maintenance of the Morbi suspension bridge. The party says that the FIR doesn't name the company and now every possible effort is being made to save the company from bad name. In its tweet, the AAP has asked the BJP whether it has received large donation from Oreva?
Latest reports from Morbi suggest that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a high-level meeting to review the aftermath of the suspension bridge tragedy.
Apart from the survivors, the Prime Minister also met with the team of men and women who played a key role in the mega rescue operation after the tragedy stuck Morbi.
PM Modi, who is in Morbi, met with a group of survivors of the suspension bridge tragedy. Here are the visuals of inside the hospital in Morbi.
The PM will reportedly take a review meeting of the entire incident at the SP office. Officials who are monitoring the situation at the ground, will all be present at the review meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches the SP office in Gujarat's #morbi after visiting the incident site of bridge collapse & meeting the injured at Morbi Civil Hospital, reports ANI.
PM Modi is at the Civil Hospital interacting with the people who were injured in the bridge collapse.
PM Modi is on his way to the Morbi Civil Hospital, according to latest reports
Modi is expected to spend time with locals and talk to the victims. He will be taking a detailed assessment from the officials as well.
PM Modi has arrived at the hospital to interact with the victims of tragedy.
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2022
PM Narendra Modi is expected to visit the injured people at the Morbi Civil Hospital now.
PM Modi is now leaving the collapse site and will now visit the Morbi Civil Hospital
PM Modi is currently inspecting the accident site with top officials. He will later visit the Morbi Civil Hospital
PM Modi has completed the aerial survey. Will soon visit the accident site and Morbi Civil Hospital.
Rescue operations are still on due to several missing complaints at the collapse site.
Bereaved families and family members of the injured people are all waiting to meet the PM shortly.
The crowd has gathered at the collapse site to meet the Prime Minister. The crowd includes the local people who have been waiting to meet the Prime Minister.
The PM is going to be at the collapse site reportedly in next 10 minutes. He will first take the briefing at the tower at the accident site. He is also going to meet the senior officers of all the forces that are carrying out the rescue operations.
PM Modi to take ground assessment post meeting the people who were injured in the accident and were admitted to the civic hospital in Morbi.
Death toll in the incident stands at 135 so far. pic.twitter.com/apg6x7L8uT
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2022
PM Modi can land any moment. He has been in touch with the DGP, Chief Secretary since Sunday evening and has been trying to take stock of the situation.
PM Modi arrives in Morbi to review situation, conducts aerial survey
The Trinamool Congress took a dig at the Gujarat government on Tuesday by thanking it for cleaning up a hospital in Morbi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit and meet the victims of the bridge collapse, reported PTI. Visuals of the Gujarat hospital being cleaned up in anticipation of Modi's visit have gone viral on social media.
The Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat was not an accident, but the murder of over 130 innocent people by the BJP's "corrupt" rule in the state, the AAP charged on Tuesday, and posed five questions to the saffron party, saying people will vote on them in the upcoming assembly elections. “This is not an accident. This is the killing of people by the BJP's corruption,” AAP leader Manish Sisodia told a press conference at the AAP headquarters, reported PTI.
Rs 4 lakhs each ex-gratia amount given to the families of deceased by state govt & Rs 2 lakhs each from PMNRF, Rs 50,000 each to injured. 17 persons remain hospitalised. 2 people remain missing: Gujarat Disaster Management minister Rajendra Trivedi, as quoted by ANI
People watch rescuers on boats search in the Machchu river next to a cable bridge that collapsed on Sunday in Morbi town of western state Gujarat, India, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. A century-old cable suspension bridge collapsed into the river Sunday evening, sending hundreds plunging in the water in one of the country's worst accidents in years. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
As per an AP report, an officer has said that at least 196 people have been rescued and all 10 of the injured are now stable.
"We're expecting the dead bodies of 2 people & are conducting a thorough search. Divers are conducting searches deep into the river. 12 boats along with a team of 125 people deployed at the spot," says Prasanna Kumar, Commandant, NDRF Vadodara, as quoted by ANI.