Death toll in India bridge rupture rises to 135, rescue efforts still ongoing
Xinhua News Agency, New Delhi, November 1 (Reporter Zhao Xu) The "India Express" reported on the 1st that the death toll in the bridge rupture accident in Gujarat, India, has risen to 135, and nearly 100 others have been injured.
Currently, rescue work is still going on.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Gujarat, has gone to the scene of the accident to inspect the progress of the search and rescue work.
At around 6:40 p.m. local time on October 30, a cable-stayed bridge over the Mechu River in the Mobi region of Gujarat suddenly broke, causing hundreds of people to fall into the water, including many women and children.
A rescue team composed of the local emergency management department and the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force went to the scene to conduct search and rescue after the accident.
India's New Delhi TV website reported on November 1 that 177 people have been rescued and the injured have been taken to hospitals.
The Indian Express reported that in March this year, the local government authorized a company to maintain and manage the bridge.
The report quoted Mobi City Hall chief officer Sandipsin Zara as saying that the business failed to report to the government after the repairs and opened to tourists without informing the government.
The municipality has yet to issue any safety clearances for the repaired bridge.
The report said Moby police had opened a case against the agency responsible for the maintenance and management of the bridge and other persons responsible during the investigation on the grounds of "wrongful death" and arrested nine suspects.
Several Indian media reported that there were at least 400 people on the bridge deck at the time of the incident, and the deck load exceeded the bridge's design carrying capacity, which may also be one of the reasons for the accident.
The Gujarat government has appointed a five-member team composed of government officials and police officers to investigate the cause of the accident. The findings may be announced in a few days.
The Supreme Court of India has also put an application for a judicial investigation into the bridge accident in process and will hold its first hearing on November 14.