134 dead in India suspension bridge collapses, 9 repairers arrested | Reuters

[モルビ（インド） ３１日 ロイター] – At least 134 people were killed in the collapse of a pedestrian suspension bridge in Morbi, Gujarat, western India, on the 30th, and about 170 people were rescued on the morning of the 31st. On the 31st, local police arrested nine people. including contractors involved in the operation and repair work of the suspension bridge.

About 35 of the victims were under the age of 14, according to a list of deaths reviewed by Reuters.

The collapsed suspension bridge, some 230 meters long, was built during British rule in the 19th century and only opened to the public last week after being closed for six months for repairs.

At the time of the accident, about 400 tourists celebrating the Hindu festival of Diwali bought tickets to cross the bridge and there were more than 150 people on the bridge.

Footage from surveillance cameras just before the collapse shows a group of young people swinging the suspension bridge from side to side, after which the cables supporting it suddenly snapped, causing the bridge to fall into the river about 10 meters further. down.

A local official told Reuters that the suspension bridge management company had not notified authorities of the reopening of the bridge and had not obtained a safety certificate.

A spokesman for the management company said he needed more information, but said: “Halfway across the bridge, too many people tried to swing it from side to side, causing it to collapse.”

The suspension bridge was once operated by the local government, which at the time limited the number of people crossing the bridge to 20 at a time.

Modi will visit the Morbi on November 1st.