NEW DELHI - Nine people have been arrested in India as part of the investigation into the collapse of a recently renovated bridge in Gujarat, including managers of the maintenance company, local police said on Monday.
The bridge, built over 140 years ago at the Machchhu dam in the city of Morbi, was closed for the past two years and reopened after reconstruction last Wednesday. More than 500 people, including children, were reportedly on the bridge when it snapped on Sunday.
The collapse killed at least 132 and critically injured 19, while another two are still missing.
Television broadcaster Al Jazeera later reported over 141 people had been confirmed dead.
"We have arrested nine people in connection with the tragedy of the collapse of the Morbi bridge," Inspector General Ashok Yadav said at a televised press conference.
Among those arrested are two managers, two contractors, three security guards and two ticket cashiers employed by Oreva Group, the company that renovated the colonial-era bridge, the police officer said.
Oreva signed a contract with the authorities for the maintenance of the bridge, and was also responsible for its repair and ticket sales, Yadav added.
Local media reported that the private company had reopened the bridge without due certification.
Around 300 Army personnel have been deployed in the search and rescue operation at the Morbi bridge incident site, said army sources.
Army columns equipped with Engineer Stores are assisting NDRF, SDRF, Indian Navy, Coast Guard in the rescue operations and assisting civil administration and police in crowd management and security.
As many as nine Army Columns including Engineer Task Force and Medical Detachments mobilized out of Dhrangdhara, Jamnagar, Bhuj by 8.40 pm yesterday. The first Column reached at 9.30 pm.
After arrival, Army columns first started crowd control & route clearance from the accident site to civil hospital, informed army sources.
The columns immediately got into the NDRF, SDRF and state fire services boats and assisted in search operations. Four medical columns assisted in the treatment of survivors in three hospitals--the government civil hospital, Krishna hospital and Ayush hospital.
Indian Army is fully committed to assisting civil administration and all other agencies for HADR (Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief) operation to prevent loss of lives, treatment of survivors and further retrieval of remaining bodies as part of search operation, a source in the Indian Army said.
Nine persons including officials of Oreva, the company that renovated the bridge, ticket sellers and security men have been arrested for the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat.
"We arrested nine people after filing FIR under various sections of IPC. The arrested includes the managers of Oreva company and ticket clerks," said Ashok Yadav, IG, Rajkot range.
"As and when we get evidence, police will nab the accused further. We have also formed a Special Investigation team pertaining to the incident," he added.
More than 140 people died and about 100 people were injured due to the collapse of the suspension bridge over the Morbi Macchu river on Sunday.
The Gujarat Police has filed a First Information Report under IPC sections 304 and 308 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in the bridge collapse tragedy.
Gujarat government has constituted a five-member committee headed to probe the bridge collapse incident.
"An unfortunate incident took place in Morbi, we pay our condolences. We filed an FIR under various sections of IPC against all the accused to take stringent action. Police & locals mobilised and helped in the rescue operation," the IG said.
"An FIR has been registered against the maintenance and management agencies of the bridge, under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the India Penal Code," said Morbi B Division Police Inspector, Prakashbhai Dekavadiya.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Morbi in Gujarat on Tuesday, the state chief minister's office announced today. Prime Minister Modi, who is in Kevadia said that rescue operations were underway and there would be no laxity in rescue and relief efforts.
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