After the devastating collapse of a suspension bridge in India, investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today instructed authorities to conduct detailed investigations and implement lessons learned quickly. The politician also visited wounded at a hospital in Morbi, Gujarat state, where the accident happened on Sunday night.
Indian media reported that the hospital’s walls were repainted and new beds and sheets were brought in ahead of the visit. Opposition politicians have criticized the renovation work, saying Modi’s Hindu nationalist party is after good photos.
The collapse was preceded by reconstruction work
The 19th century walkway collapsed just days after being reopened by a private company after months of rehabilitation works. On Sunday, it attracted a particularly large number of people in view of important Hindu festivals.
Portal
Images before the collapse showed people jumping and running over it and the bridge moving. According to media reports, there were also significantly more people on the bridge than the carrying capacity matched. According to local authorities, the bridge had not yet been approved for reopening. More recently, sanitation company employees were arrested.
In total, at least 135 people died in connection with the collapse of the bridge, the police recently announced. The police had already spoken of 141 dead. Several police officers did not give an explanation for the difference. In recent years, dozens of people have died in India due to infrastructure-related accidents.