India bridges collapses, killing 134 victims

Written by Hawraa Ktab. Published by Ayesha Nadeem

A bridge in the western Indian state of Gujarat recently collapsed four days after it was reopened to the public, dropping hundreds of people quickly into the river and killing at least 140 people. There were about 350 people on and around the bridge. The bridge was a major tourist attraction during the time of the collapse. A minister in the Gujarat government said that a large number of people that died were children, women, and older people. The bridge was built in 1880, during the Victorian era, and it’s about 755 feet long.

A video that was broadcasted by a local television channel showed people swimming to get to the side of the bridge. Many dozens of people are struggling to hang on the edge of the bridge as they are waiting to get rescued. Children and women can be heard crying for help. A lot of rescue workers work through the night trying their best to pull as many victims as they can. Another video footage shows small boats working through the night helping search and rescue, and pulling bodies out of the water. The district where the bridge collapsed, said 170 people had been rescued.

Prime minister Narendra Modi, who’s from Gujarat, was in the state for a three-day visit. She provided cash payment for families of those who got killed and injured. The bridge was especially busy over the weekend, as the Hindu festival season drew a larger number of tourists and families to the recent opening attraction. Local media reveal that the bridge was oversized when it separated apart. The Morbi district is home to thousands of factories that make ceramic tiles, bathroom products and wall clocks, and dozens of migrant factory workers were on the bridge when it fell.

Citations

nytimes.com. (2022, October 30). https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/30/world/asia/india-bridge-collapse.html