About 500 people were on the bridge, although it may have only lost about 125.
Morbi, Gujarat:
Just before a British-era bridge collapsed at Gujarat’s Morbi on Sunday night, it was deliberately rocked. At least 130 people died after the bridge plunged into the river.
A CCTV video shows a man swaying wildly, holding cables on both sides, just as the bridge collapsed, at around 6:32pm.
The video shows the bridge packed with people, some taking pictures with their cell phones and others trying to shake the bridge. Within seconds, the metal cable snapped and the bridge fell, spilling everyone into the Macchu River. A walkway and a fence collapsed, leaving one side dangling in the air.
Witnesses said.
More videos taken later show people clinging to the remains of the bridge while some swim to safety.
About 500 people were on the bridge, although it may have only lost about 125.
Jayrajsinh Jadeja, a councilor of the ruling BJP in Morbi, said on Sunday 400 to 500 tickets had been issued, leading to overcrowding and collapse.
The 150-year-old bridge was opened to the public on October 26, after seven months of repairs and maintenance. The agreement between the Morbi city government and the manufacturers of Ajanta, the private company hired to maintain the bridge, revealed that the bridge was reopened ahead of schedule.
The contract requires the bridge to be closed for maintenance eight to 12 months before it is opened to traffic.
Sandeepsinh Zala, the director of the city of Morbi, said the Oreva company had not informed the authorities about the reopening of the bridge and had not been granted a certificate of fitness to do so.
