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At least 91 people were killed, several injured, and over 100 remain missing after a cable suspension bridge collapsed Sunday into the Macchu River in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The death toll is expected to rise as emergency relief continues, a government minister said. Many confirmed dead include women and children.
The bridge was built over a century ago and recently reopened after a two-year renovation. The Press Trust of India news agency said it may have collapsed because it could not handle so many people.
An estimated 500 people had assembled on the bridge to perform a spiritual celebration in connection to Chhath Puja, an annual festival celebrated every year in the region.
The Morbi Municipal Committee’s Chief Executive Officer, D.V. Zala, revealed that the bridge had been opened for the public without a proper safety audit or certification.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tweeted Sunday the government would do all it could to provide victims with financial aid, “I express my condolences to the families of the citizens who lost their lives in the tragedy of Morbi.”
An estimated 100 people are feared to remain trapped in the Macchu River. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, fire brigades, boats, and other government officials are still providing rescue efforts to remove everyone who may still be trapped under debris in the river. Officials said the bridge collapsed at night and prevented everyone from being rescued quickly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the area of the tragedy. Brijesh Merja, Gujarat’s minister for Labor and Employment, told New Delhi Television in an exclusive interview that rescue efforts will continue and “all top government officials are on the ground.”
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