RAJKOT: At least 90 people were feared dead and scores injured when a just-renovated 140-year-old suspension bridge over the algae-lined Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed Sunday evening under the weight of an estimated 400-strong holiday crowd, barely five days after the structure had been reopened to the public. The death toll could exceed 100, sources said.
Morbi MLA and minister of state Brijesh Merja confirmed 60-odd deaths as the prospect of finding survivors appeared to dim around 10.30pm, almost four hours after the bridge came down in a cacophony of snapping iron cables and horrified screams. Officials said the tragedy occurred between 6.30 and 7pm.
Rajkot Lok Sabha MP Mohan Kundariya, who lives in Morbi, confirmed to TOI that around 50 bodies had been fished out of the river and 100-odd injured survivors shifted to various hospitals. "The thick layer of algae is making the search operation a daunting task in the dark,” he said.
