The bridge, over 230 meters long, was supported by steel cables: it suddenly collapsed, causing dozens of people to fall into the water. It was around 6:30 pm local time when a large crowd gathered on the bridge, called Julto Pool, in the north-west of the country. These days in India Diwali is celebrated, one of the most important religious holidays, which symbolizes the victory of good over evil. It seems that there were many children among the people on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
In all likelihood, too much weight for an ancient structure caused the collapse. The Gujarat government, on its official website, describes the bridge as “an engineering marvel built at the turn of the century”. It is in fact a local tourist attraction, which also for this reason had undergone restoration since the beginning of the year, until Wednesday, when it was reopened to the public.
However, according to the broadcaster Ndtv, access was allowed despite the fact that there was still no security certificate. Images circulated on social media show dozens of people desperately trying to cling to the wreckage and broken cables to pull themselves out of the water. Rescuers arrived quickly and rescued dozens of people and will continue to work all night, local authorities said.
The Indian premier has announced compensation for the victims and injured in the accident. According to what his office said about him, “he asked that the situation be monitored closely and continuously and (that the authorities) extend all possible help to those affected”.
