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2022 Morbi bridge collapse

Jhulto Pul [gu] bridge, pictured in 2008
Date	30 October 2022 (2022-10-30)
Time	6:40 p.m. IST (UTC+5:30)
Location	Morbi, Gujarat, India
Coordinates	22°49′06″N 70°50′34″E / 22.81833°N 70.84278°E / 22.81833; 70.84278
Deaths	141
Non-fatal injuries	100+

On 30 October 2022, in Morbi, Gujarat, India, a pedestrian suspension bridge, Jhulto Pul, over the Machchhu River collapsed, leading to the deaths of at least 141 people.

The 19th-century bridge had reopened four days earlier, following a lengthy closure for repairs.

Background

Jhulto Pul [gu] ("Swinging bridge") is a 230-metre (750 ft) long, 1.25-metre (4 ft 1 in) wide pedestrian suspension bridge over the Machchhu River, built during British rule in India in the 19th century. It was inaugurated on 20 February 1879.

The toll bridge had been closed for two years before the incident and was reopened after renovation on 26 October 2022 on the occasion of Gujarati New Year. The chief officer of the municipality, who had given the contract for repairs after the 2001 earthquake, said the private firm responsible for the renovations "threw the bridge open to visitors without notifying us and therefore, we couldn't get a safety audit of the bridge conducted". It had been closed for repairs for six months. The bridge is owned by Morbi municipality, which signed a contract with the private trust Oreva for maintenance and operations a few months prior. Four days after reopening, the bridge collapsed.

Incident

On 30 October 2022, at 6:40 pm, the bridge collapsed. At least 141 people were confirmed dead and more than 180 were rescued, with many still missing. Five teams from the National Disaster Response Force started rescue operations. Later they were joined by Indian Army, Navy and Air forces. Police, military and disaster response teams were deployed for rescue operations.

The Government of India and the Government of Gujarat announced the ex gratia of ₹2 lakh (US$2,300) and ₹4 lakh (US$4,700) respectively to next of kin of each person who died, and ₹50,000 (US$590) to the injured.

Investigation

A five-member committee was formed by the Government of Gujarat to investigate and determine the cause.

A first information report (FIR) was filed against the maintenance and management agencies of the bridge under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (intentional act causing death) and 114 (abettor present when offence committed).

According to initial reports, after repairs, the bridge was reopened ahead of schedule and without the required fitness certificate from the local civic authorities. It had more than 500 people on it while it had a capacity of only 125.

MP Mohan Kundariya said he believed the cause was overloading. A spokesperson for the operators Oreva Group told The Indian Express newspaper that it appeared too many people were in the middle section of the bridge "trying to sway it".

Response

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered condolences.

Opposition Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to party workers for assistance. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala slammed the ruling BJP government for being careless and called the incident a "man made tragedy".

See also

• 1979 Machchhu dam failure
• 2019 Mumbai foot overbridge collapse

References

1. ^ Thomas, Merlyn; Peter, Laurence (31 October 2022). "India bridge collapse: Death toll rises to 141, many still missing". BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
2. "Gujarat bridge collapse live updates: Over 60 dead as recently renovated bridge collapses in Morbi, several feared trapped". The Times of India.
3. ^ Khanna, Sumit (30 October 2022). "At least 40 killed in India bridge collapse, state minister says". Reuters. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
4. ^ "Recently renovated cable bridge collapses in Gujarat, several injured: Top developments". The Times of India. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
5. ^ "Gujarat: Suspension bridge collapses in Morbi, more than 125 dead". The Indian Express. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
6. "5 Facts About Old Bridge In Gujarat That Collapsed". NDTV. 31 October 2022.
7. "Hundreds plunge into the river after India bridge collapses". BBC News. BBC. 30 October 2022.
8. "Gujarat Morbi bridge collapse, accident news today: Death toll rises to 135; rescue operation underway". Zee Business. 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. ^ "Morbi bridge collapse updates: Army, Air Force and Navy join NDRF for rescue ops". Hindustan Times. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
11. ^ "India bridge collapse: Death toll rises to 132, many still missing". BBC News. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
12. ^ "Morbi bridge collapse: Toll rises to over 140, probe on". cnbctv18.com. 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
13. "अब तक 132 की मौत, मेंटिनेंस कंपनी के खिलाफ एफआईआर दर्ज, SIT करेगी जांच". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 31 October 2022.
14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
15. ""Some People Shook Bridge Intentionally": Gujarat Family's Narrow Escape". NDTV. 31 October 2022.
16. "Gujarat Morbi Bridge Collapse LIVE Updates: My heart goes out to Morbi bridge collapse victims, says PM Modi; rescue operations continue". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
17. ^ Kumar, Raju (31 October 2022). "Gujarat bridge collapse: How political circle reacted | 'A man-made tragedy', says Congress". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 31 October 2022.

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