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Tag: Morbi

  • SIT probing Gujarat bridge collapse factors to technical lapses by non-public firm

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD:  A Special Investigation Team probing the collapse of a bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi city final 12 months knowledgeable the High Court on Tuesday that there have been “serious operational and technical lapses” on the a part of the Oreva firm’s administration.

    The lackadaisical strategy on the a part of the administration of the corporate leading to “one of the most severe and tragic human calamities” can’t be countenanced, the SIT stated. “For this, prima facie, the whole management of the company, including its managing director and two managers appear to be responsible,” it stated.

    The British-era suspension bridge on the Machchu river in Morbi collapsed on October 30 final 12 months, killing 135 individuals and injuring 56 others. The Morbi Nagarpalika gave the restore work of the bridge to Oreva firm, which assigned it to a “non-competent agency,” and the work was carried out “without consulting technical experts,” the SIT stated.

    It additionally discovered a number of design faults within the bridge post-renovation works, contributing to its collapse. “Various steps taken in carrying out the repair works of the bridge could have been avoided by better steps had the company taken the help of a professional expert agency in the field,” in accordance with the report.

    The report filed earlier than the courtroom by Advocate General Kamal Trivedi says the Oreva firm ought to have obtained its health evaluation and consulted the municipality on this matter even after the restore was accomplished.

    According to SIT, after the contract between the Oreva Group and Morbi municipality for bridge upkeep and operation was renewed, the corporate failed to hunt technical recommendation from an skilled company or seek the advice of the civic physique earlier than awarding the contract to 1 Dev Prakash Solutions to hold out main restore work.

    It stated there have been no restrictions on the quantity of people that may cross the bridge at any given second or on the sale of tickets. According to the report, the Oreva Group addressed many letters to authorities nervous concerning the bridge’s deteriorating situation after the preliminary MoU it had signed with native authorities for its upkeep and operation expired.

    AHMEDABAD:  A Special Investigation Team probing the collapse of a bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi city final 12 months knowledgeable the High Court on Tuesday that there have been “serious operational and technical lapses” on the a part of the Oreva firm’s administration.

    The lackadaisical strategy on the a part of the administration of the corporate leading to “one of the most severe and tragic human calamities” can’t be countenanced, the SIT stated. “For this, prima facie, the whole management of the company, including its managing director and two managers appear to be responsible,” it stated.

    The British-era suspension bridge on the Machchu river in Morbi collapsed on October 30 final 12 months, killing 135 individuals and injuring 56 others. The Morbi Nagarpalika gave the restore work of the bridge to Oreva firm, which assigned it to a “non-competent agency,” and the work was carried out “without consulting technical experts,” the SIT stated.googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

    It additionally discovered a number of design faults within the bridge post-renovation works, contributing to its collapse. “Various steps taken in carrying out the repair works of the bridge could have been avoided by better steps had the company taken the help of a professional expert agency in the field,” in accordance with the report.

    The report filed earlier than the courtroom by Advocate General Kamal Trivedi says the Oreva firm ought to have obtained its health evaluation and consulted the municipality on this matter even after the restore was accomplished.

    According to SIT, after the contract between the Oreva Group and Morbi municipality for bridge upkeep and operation was renewed, the corporate failed to hunt technical recommendation from an skilled company or seek the advice of the civic physique earlier than awarding the contract to 1 Dev Prakash Solutions to hold out main restore work.

    It stated there have been no restrictions on the quantity of people that may cross the bridge at any given second or on the sale of tickets. According to the report, the Oreva Group addressed many letters to authorities nervous concerning the bridge’s deteriorating situation after the preliminary MoU it had signed with native authorities for its upkeep and operation expired.

  • Morbi bridge collapse: HC orders Oreva Group to pay Rs 10 lakh to victims’ kin

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday directed Clock manufacturing agency Oreva Group, the corporate which maintained the Morbi suspension bridge that collapsed killing 135 folks, to pay Rs 10 lakh as interim compensation to the kin of every deceased and Rs 2 lakh to every injured inside 4 weeks.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt requested the corporate to pay the interim compensation.

    The court docket ordered that each injured individual ought to be paid interim compensation of Rs two lakh.

    The suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi city collapsed on October 30 final yr, killing 135 individuals and injuring 56 others.

    On Tuesday, Oreva Group had made a proposal earlier than the excessive court docket to pay an ‘interim’ compensation totalling Rs 5 crore to the kin of those that misplaced their lives and folks left injured when a British-era suspension bridge collapsed in October final yr.

    The court docket had, nevertheless, stated the compensation supplied by the corporate was not “just”.

    Oreva Group, led by its MD Jaysukh Patel, was chargeable for the operation and upkeep of the bridge with a particular investigation crew (SIT) fashioned by the state authorities citing a number of lapses on the a part of the agency.

    Oreva Group, led by its MD Jaysukh Patel, was chargeable for the operation and upkeep of the bridge with a particular investigation crew (SIT) fashioned by the state authorities citing a number of lapses on the a part of the agency.

    AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday directed Clock manufacturing agency Oreva Group, the corporate which maintained the Morbi suspension bridge that collapsed killing 135 folks, to pay Rs 10 lakh as interim compensation to the kin of every deceased and Rs 2 lakh to every injured inside 4 weeks.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Sonia Gokani and Justice Sandeep Bhatt requested the corporate to pay the interim compensation.

    The court docket ordered that each injured individual ought to be paid interim compensation of Rs two lakh.

    The suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi city collapsed on October 30 final yr, killing 135 individuals and injuring 56 others.

    On Tuesday, Oreva Group had made a proposal earlier than the excessive court docket to pay an ‘interim’ compensation totalling Rs 5 crore to the kin of those that misplaced their lives and folks left injured when a British-era suspension bridge collapsed in October final yr.

    The court docket had, nevertheless, stated the compensation supplied by the corporate was not “just”.

    Oreva Group, led by its MD Jaysukh Patel, was chargeable for the operation and upkeep of the bridge with a particular investigation crew (SIT) fashioned by the state authorities citing a number of lapses on the a part of the agency.

    Oreva Group, led by its MD Jaysukh Patel, was chargeable for the operation and upkeep of the bridge with a particular investigation crew (SIT) fashioned by the state authorities citing a number of lapses on the a part of the agency.

  • Morbi bridge: Newlyweds who plunged to their loss of life and a nine-year-old whose cries saved lives

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: Amidst the tales of tragedies unfolding from the Morbi suspension bridge collapse occasion, the story of a newlywed couple is especially heartwrenching. 

    Harsh Jhalavdia and Meera celebrated their wedding ceremony 5 months in the past. The couple who have been working as software program engineers in Bangalore determined to go to Harsh’s hometown Rajkot for the pageant of Diwali.

    On Saturday, they visited Harsh’s aunt in Morbi together with Harsh’s mother and father. After having dinner at her place, they determined to go for a stroll throughout the newly-renovated suspension bridge, often known as the swinging bridge (jhulto pul) in Morbi.

    The British-era suspension bridge snapped in half round 6:30 PM and over 140 individuals fell into the Machchhu river.

    Meera died immediately. Harsh was shifted to Rajkot hospital for remedy however he didn’t survive.

    Harsh and Meera

    Harsh, his mother and father, and Meera have been by the way presupposed to return to Rajkot from their relative’s home in Morbi on Sunday morning. They, nevertheless, determined to remain again upon Harsh’s cousin’s insistence.

    Harsh’s cousin and his spouse too had accompanied the newlyweds on the ill-fated bridge. They too misplaced their lives. Their seven-year-old son was rescued however later succumbed to his accidents.

    ALSO READ | 47 youngsters amongst these useless, two-year-old Duruku the youngest

    A baby’s tears and a selfie to recollect

    Nine-year-old Netra unwittingly saved the lives of his members of the family, Bhanubhai, Sagarbhai, Komal, and Khewna, on Sunday. The Mehta household who reside in Rahula have been in Morbi visiting their family.

    On Sunday, the 5 of them went to the suspension bridge which had opened to the general public only a few days again. The household hadn’t gotten even midway throughout the bridge when it began shaking slightly. Sagar recounts how they resolve to not go additional after their toddler began crying in fright. “We took a selfie and left the bridge. We got into our car and drove back. Within 15 minutes, the news of the bridge collapse reached us. If our Netra had not cried, we, too, would have died in this tragedy,” Sagar says.

    The household then posted their selfie taken on the bridge on social media to assuage their panic-stricken family. 

    WATCH |

    AHMEDABAD: Amidst the tales of tragedies unfolding from the Morbi suspension bridge collapse occasion, the story of a newlywed couple is especially heartwrenching. 

    Harsh Jhalavdia and Meera celebrated their wedding ceremony 5 months in the past. The couple who have been working as software program engineers in Bangalore determined to go to Harsh’s hometown Rajkot for the pageant of Diwali.

    On Saturday, they visited Harsh’s aunt in Morbi together with Harsh’s mother and father. After having dinner at her place, they determined to go for a stroll throughout the newly-renovated suspension bridge, often known as the swinging bridge (jhulto pul) in Morbi.

    The British-era suspension bridge snapped in half round 6:30 PM and over 140 individuals fell into the Machchhu river.

    Meera died immediately. Harsh was shifted to Rajkot hospital for remedy however he didn’t survive.

    Harsh and Meera

    Harsh, his mother and father, and Meera have been by the way presupposed to return to Rajkot from their relative’s home in Morbi on Sunday morning. They, nevertheless, determined to remain again upon Harsh’s cousin’s insistence.

    Harsh’s cousin and his spouse too had accompanied the newlyweds on the ill-fated bridge. They too misplaced their lives. Their seven-year-old son was rescued however later succumbed to his accidents.

    ALSO READ | 47 youngsters amongst these useless, two-year-old Duruku the youngest

    A baby’s tears and a selfie to recollect

    Nine-year-old Netra unwittingly saved the lives of his members of the family, Bhanubhai, Sagarbhai, Komal, and Khewna, on Sunday. The Mehta household who reside in Rahula have been in Morbi visiting their family.

    On Sunday, the 5 of them went to the suspension bridge which had opened to the general public only a few days again. The household hadn’t gotten even midway throughout the bridge when it began shaking slightly. Sagar recounts how they resolve to not go additional after their toddler began crying in fright. “We took a selfie and left the bridge. We got into our car and drove back. Within 15 minutes, the news of the bridge collapse reached us. If our Netra had not cried, we, too, would have died in this tragedy,” Sagar says.

    The household then posted their selfie taken on the bridge on social media to assuage their panic-stricken family. 

    WATCH |

  • Morbi bridge collapse: Four accused despatched to police custody

    By PTI

    MORBI: Four accused individuals together with two managers of Oreva Group arrested in reference to the collapse of a suspension bridge right here had been remanded in 4 days’ police custody on Tuesday by a neighborhood court docket.

    Chief Judicial Magistrate M J Khan remanded 5 different arrested accused in judicial custody, mentioned authorities prosecutor H S Panchal.

    Police had arrested a complete of 9 individuals after the Sunday’s catastrophic incident which claimed 135 lives.

    They had been booked below Indian Penal Code part 304 (culpable murder not amounting to homicide).

    ALSO READ | Morbi bridge tragedy: Survivor recounts moments earlier than collapse

    The police sought custody of the 4 key accused together with two managers or Oreva Group and two subcontractors who had allegedly carried out repairs of the bridge not too long ago, Panchal mentioned.

    The remaining 5, together with ticket reserving clerks and safety guards of the bridge, had been despatched in judicial custody as police didn’t search their remand.

    The clock and e-bike maker Oreva group had been given a contract by the Morbi Municipality to restore and function the ill-fated bridge for 15 years.

    MORBI: Four accused individuals together with two managers of Oreva Group arrested in reference to the collapse of a suspension bridge right here had been remanded in 4 days’ police custody on Tuesday by a neighborhood court docket.

    Chief Judicial Magistrate M J Khan remanded 5 different arrested accused in judicial custody, mentioned authorities prosecutor H S Panchal.

    Police had arrested a complete of 9 individuals after the Sunday’s catastrophic incident which claimed 135 lives.

    They had been booked below Indian Penal Code part 304 (culpable murder not amounting to homicide).

    ALSO READ | Morbi bridge tragedy: Survivor recounts moments earlier than collapse

    The police sought custody of the 4 key accused together with two managers or Oreva Group and two subcontractors who had allegedly carried out repairs of the bridge not too long ago, Panchal mentioned.

    The remaining 5, together with ticket reserving clerks and safety guards of the bridge, had been despatched in judicial custody as police didn’t search their remand.

    The clock and e-bike maker Oreva group had been given a contract by the Morbi Municipality to restore and function the ill-fated bridge for 15 years.

  • Gujarat bridge tragedy: PM Modi meets injured at hospital; chairs assembly in Morbi

    By Online Desk

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night met the injured within the Morbi suspension bridge collapse who’re present process therapy on the civil hospital within the space. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel accompanied him.

    A high-level assembly, chaired by the PM, is now underway in Morbi, to assessment the scenario after the tragedy.

    Prime Minister Modi together with the Gujarat Chief Minister on Tuesday visited the bridge collapse website and met these concerned in rescue and reduction operations.

    At least 141 folks, together with girls and kids, had been killed and over 100 are receiving therapy for his or her accidents sustained after a cable suspension bridge in Morbi city collapsed on Sunday, plunging folks into the Machchhu River.

    Prime Minister Modi had chaired a high-level assembly at Raj Bhavan, Gandhinagar, on Monday to assessment the scenario in Morbi.

    The high-level assembly was attended by Bhupendra Patel, Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Chief Secretary and DGP of Gujarat, together with different prime officers together with from the Home Department of the state and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority.

    The Gujarat authorities has constituted a five-member committee headed to probe the bridge collapse incident.

    Nine individuals together with officers of Oreva, the corporate that renovated the bridge, ticket sellers, and safety males had been arrested on Monday.

    (With ANI inputs)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday night met the injured within the Morbi suspension bridge collapse who’re present process therapy on the civil hospital within the space. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel accompanied him.

    A high-level assembly, chaired by the PM, is now underway in Morbi, to assessment the scenario after the tragedy.

    Prime Minister Modi together with the Gujarat Chief Minister on Tuesday visited the bridge collapse website and met these concerned in rescue and reduction operations.

    At least 141 folks, together with girls and kids, had been killed and over 100 are receiving therapy for his or her accidents sustained after a cable suspension bridge in Morbi city collapsed on Sunday, plunging folks into the Machchhu River.

    Prime Minister Modi had chaired a high-level assembly at Raj Bhavan, Gandhinagar, on Monday to assessment the scenario in Morbi.

    The high-level assembly was attended by Bhupendra Patel, Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Chief Secretary and DGP of Gujarat, together with different prime officers together with from the Home Department of the state and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority.

    The Gujarat authorities has constituted a five-member committee headed to probe the bridge collapse incident.

    Nine individuals together with officers of Oreva, the corporate that renovated the bridge, ticket sellers, and safety males had been arrested on Monday.

    (With ANI inputs)

  • Morbi bridge collapse: 47 youngsters amongst these lifeless, two-year-old Duruku Zhala the youngest

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: Forty-seven youngsters below the age of 16 have formally been confirmed to be among the many almost 141 lifeless within the Morbi bridge collapse which occurred in Gujarat on Sunday night time.

    They embody 31 boys and 16 ladies. The youngest sufferer is a two-year-old, Duruku Zhala.

    Sources on the native hospital stated the lifeless additionally embody 58 males and 27 girls. 

    Dramatic visuals from an novice video of the vacation crowd on the bridge as its suspension wires gave method had introduced the horror to the nation’s drawing rooms.

    There had been stories of some youths deliberately shaking the bridge simply to get an additional kick from their perch 60 ft above the river. Complaints to the workers to self-discipline them weren’t acted upon. 

    ALSO SEE:

    The police had on Monday arrested 9 individuals, tasked with managing the century-old suspension bridge, for dereliction of responsibility after reserving a case in opposition to them. 

    “Nine persons have been arrested so far — two managers and two ticket booking clerks, two contractors and three guards of the Oreva group that was managing the bridge,” Rajkot Range Inspector General Ashok Yadav stated. He stated technical and structural flaws and a few upkeep points had been prima facie accountable for the tragedy.

    Oreva, tasked with the bridge’s administration and upkeep, is alleged to have spent Rs 2 crore on the renovation and was so eager to monetise it that it allegedly opened the bridge on October 26 to mark the Gujarati New Year with out a health certificates.

    The Oreva group specialises in CFL bulbs, wall clocks and e-bikes. The firm’s contract with the Morbi municipality specified that the price of the ticket can be Rs 15 per grownup and Rs 10 per little one beneath 12 in the course of the 2022-23 and can be elevated by Rs 2 annually for the subsequent six years. Yet, tickets bought on the tragic Sunday night had been already up by Rs 2.

    There was additionally the accusation that ‘650 individuals had been allowed on a bridge that might assist solely 150-200 individuals’.

    Revenue Minister Rajendra Trivedi on Tuesday stated that two individuals stay lacking, and that search operations will proceed until all persons are accounted for.

    Tuesday marked the third day of the rescue operations.

    Two NDRF and two SDRF groups together with six platoons of the Army alongside a workforce with 18 boats from the Navy, SRPF, Air Force, and the Fire departments are concerned within the rescue ops.

    NDRF commandant VVN Prasanna Kumar stated, “It is suspected that some bodies may be there on the floor of the river. So, we are seeking the help of our deep divers.”

    ALSO READ | Survivor recounts moments earlier than collapse

    The district collector stated {that a} round the clock management room has been established with a helpline for these looking for info.

    So far, 224 individuals have been rescued, he added.

    Fifteen of those individuals are below remedy in several hospitals of Morbi and two individuals are being handled on the Rajkot hospital.

    73 individuals have been discharged.

    The state authorities has determined to look at state-wide mourning on November 2.

    ALSO READ | Morbi bridge collapse: She clung to dad’s shoulder to security and lived to inform a narrative

    How the tragedy unfolded

    This is how the almost 150-year-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed on Sunday, killing 141 individuals.

    8 am to six.30 pm:  The entry timings of the Morbi suspension bridge on Machchhu River 
    Festival time: As it was the Diwali holidays, the variety of individuals visiting the bridge had elevated. On Sunday, there was an enormous crowd
    Ticket value: Bridge tickets bought for Rs 12 for kids and Rs 17 for adults
    6.17 pm: The collapse
    6.45 pm:  Fire brigade personnel, locals and authorities rushed to the spot
    7.00 pm: Injured taken to Morbi Civil Hosp, our bodies began arriving on the morgue
    9:30 pm:  Guj CM Bhupedrabhai Patel and HM Harsh Sanghavi rushed to the spot to evaluate the state of affairs
    11.30 pm: NDRF and different catastrophe response groups attain on the web site and rescue operations intensify
    1.30 am, Monday: Sanghavi proclaims dying toll at 68 
    Monday morning to 7:00 pm: CM and Sanghavi overview aid and rescue work all through the day
    7.00 am: Home minister revises variety of victims to 132. 
    By night, toll rises to 141 deaths

    AHMEDABAD: Forty-seven youngsters below the age of 16 have formally been confirmed to be among the many almost 141 lifeless within the Morbi bridge collapse which occurred in Gujarat on Sunday night time.

    They embody 31 boys and 16 ladies. The youngest sufferer is a two-year-old, Duruku Zhala.

    Sources on the native hospital stated the lifeless additionally embody 58 males and 27 girls. 

    Dramatic visuals from an novice video of the vacation crowd on the bridge as its suspension wires gave method had introduced the horror to the nation’s drawing rooms.

    There had been stories of some youths deliberately shaking the bridge simply to get an additional kick from their perch 60 ft above the river. Complaints to the workers to self-discipline them weren’t acted upon. 

    ALSO SEE:

    The police had on Monday arrested 9 individuals, tasked with managing the century-old suspension bridge, for dereliction of responsibility after reserving a case in opposition to them. 

    “Nine persons have been arrested so far — two managers and two ticket booking clerks, two contractors and three guards of the Oreva group that was managing the bridge,” Rajkot Range Inspector General Ashok Yadav stated. He stated technical and structural flaws and a few upkeep points had been prima facie accountable for the tragedy.

    Oreva, tasked with the bridge’s administration and upkeep, is alleged to have spent Rs 2 crore on the renovation and was so eager to monetise it that it allegedly opened the bridge on October 26 to mark the Gujarati New Year with out a health certificates.

    The Oreva group specialises in CFL bulbs, wall clocks and e-bikes. The firm’s contract with the Morbi municipality specified that the price of the ticket can be Rs 15 per grownup and Rs 10 per little one beneath 12 in the course of the 2022-23 and can be elevated by Rs 2 annually for the subsequent six years. Yet, tickets bought on the tragic Sunday night had been already up by Rs 2.

    There was additionally the accusation that ‘650 individuals had been allowed on a bridge that might assist solely 150-200 individuals’.

    Revenue Minister Rajendra Trivedi on Tuesday stated that two individuals stay lacking, and that search operations will proceed until all persons are accounted for.

    Tuesday marked the third day of the rescue operations.

    Two NDRF and two SDRF groups together with six platoons of the Army alongside a workforce with 18 boats from the Navy, SRPF, Air Force, and the Fire departments are concerned within the rescue ops.

    NDRF commandant VVN Prasanna Kumar stated, “It is suspected that some bodies may be there on the floor of the river. So, we are seeking the help of our deep divers.”

    ALSO READ | Survivor recounts moments earlier than collapse

    The district collector stated {that a} round the clock management room has been established with a helpline for these looking for info.

    So far, 224 individuals have been rescued, he added.

    Fifteen of those individuals are below remedy in several hospitals of Morbi and two individuals are being handled on the Rajkot hospital.

    73 individuals have been discharged.

    The state authorities has determined to look at state-wide mourning on November 2.

    ALSO READ | Morbi bridge collapse: She clung to dad’s shoulder to security and lived to inform a narrative

    How the tragedy unfolded

    This is how the almost 150-year-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed on Sunday, killing 141 individuals.

    8 am to six.30 pm:  The entry timings of the Morbi suspension bridge on Machchhu River 
    Festival time: As it was the Diwali holidays, the variety of individuals visiting the bridge had elevated. On Sunday, there was an enormous crowd
    Ticket value: Bridge tickets bought for Rs 12 for kids and Rs 17 for adults
    6.17 pm: The collapse
    6.45 pm:  Fire brigade personnel, locals and authorities rushed to the spot
    7.00 pm: Injured taken to Morbi Civil Hosp, our bodies began arriving on the morgue
    9:30 pm:  Guj CM Bhupedrabhai Patel and HM Harsh Sanghavi rushed to the spot to evaluate the state of affairs
    11.30 pm: NDRF and different catastrophe response groups attain on the web site and rescue operations intensify
    1.30 am, Monday: Sanghavi proclaims dying toll at 68 
    Monday morning to 7:00 pm: CM and Sanghavi overview aid and rescue work all through the day
    7.00 am: Home minister revises variety of victims to 132. 
    By night, toll rises to 141 deaths

  • Morbi bridge collapse: Families line as much as bury useless 

    By AFP

    MORBI: There had been so many useless that their households needed to queue as much as bury them.

    Hundreds of mourners milled among the many rows of graves on the Muslim cemetery in Morbi on Monday, a day after greater than 130 individuals had been killed in India’s worst bridge collapse in many years.

    Relatives dug graves for his or her kin with the assistance of workers, as mourners tried to consolation one another and volunteers supplied the grieving households water.

    Some hugged one another, some cried, some mourned in silence as they waited their flip to put the our bodies to relaxation, with a scarcity of coffins slowing the method.

    The newly-renovated, almost 150-year-old suspension bridge within the Gujarat city — a famend vacationer attraction — was full of guests when it collapsed on the final day of the Diwali vacation season.

    Around 50 Hindu cremations had been held on Monday, and 37 Muslim funerals had been being carried out on the solely Islamic cemetery within the district.

    Local businessman Rafiq Gaffar was burying two of his nephews: Nisar Iqbal, 21, and 12-year-old Arman Irfan.

    They had been shut pals and had informed their moms they had been going to the bridge. The household rushed to the positioning once they realized of the collapse.

    “It was mayhem,” stated Gaffar, 45. “People had been crying and wailing. It was a scene from doomsday.

    “There had been our bodies floating on the water in every single place and folks trapped on the bridge who had been frantically calling for assist.

    “We had no hope after witnessing the scenes. We were just hoping to see their bodies.” They looked for the boys for eight hours, he stated, however didn’t discover them.”

    Finally round six within the morning their our bodies had been fished out. “Our family is devastated and it is difficult to overcome the loss.”

    Arman was the eldest of three brothers, he added. “He was in school and was too young to die.”

    Nisar had simply began working at a spare components store and was serving to to earn cash for the household.

    “He has a sister who’s getting married subsequent yr however we do not know what’s going to occur now. It will take us ages, in actual fact our lives to return out of this tragedy.

    “They were young and we have nothing left now.”

    ‘Broken and shattered’ 
    The bridge had simply re-opened after a months-long renovation and studies stated it had not had correct approvals.

    Nine individuals from the administration agency that ran it had been arrested Monday on suspicion of culpable murder not amounting to homicide, police stated.

    “The government is clearly at fault,” stated Gaffar. “Our lives had been decreased to the mere 15 rupees (18 US cents) that the federal government earned from the tickets.

    “We don’t expect any justice. The powerful rule this country and the poor suffer. No one will ever be held responsible for the deaths.”

    Qadir Bhai Sama, 80, had fond reminiscences of often taking his grandson to the bridge as a toddler.

    Now 17, Sahil Dilawar Sama went to it for the final time on Sunday, with three pals.

    “He promised his mother he would be back in two hours but the next day only his body returned,” stated Sama. Of the three pals who accompanied him, one additionally died and the opposite two had been hospitalised, he added. “They were close to each other and even tried to save each other.”

    The official accountable for the graveyard, Mohammad Toufeeq, 40, stated his workers had been working with out a break to assist the victims’ households.

    “We haven’t slept or eaten anything since last night,” he stated. “The total space is in mourning.

    “We feel broken and shattered. There are no words to describe the loss and I think there’s nothing which will ease our pain.”

    MORBI: There had been so many useless that their households needed to queue as much as bury them.

    Hundreds of mourners milled among the many rows of graves on the Muslim cemetery in Morbi on Monday, a day after greater than 130 individuals had been killed in India’s worst bridge collapse in many years.

    Relatives dug graves for his or her kin with the assistance of workers, as mourners tried to consolation one another and volunteers supplied the grieving households water.

    Some hugged one another, some cried, some mourned in silence as they waited their flip to put the our bodies to relaxation, with a scarcity of coffins slowing the method.

    The newly-renovated, almost 150-year-old suspension bridge within the Gujarat city — a famend vacationer attraction — was full of guests when it collapsed on the final day of the Diwali vacation season.

    Around 50 Hindu cremations had been held on Monday, and 37 Muslim funerals had been being carried out on the solely Islamic cemetery within the district.

    Local businessman Rafiq Gaffar was burying two of his nephews: Nisar Iqbal, 21, and 12-year-old Arman Irfan.

    They had been shut pals and had informed their moms they had been going to the bridge. The household rushed to the positioning once they realized of the collapse.

    “It was mayhem,” stated Gaffar, 45. “People had been crying and wailing. It was a scene from doomsday.

    “There had been our bodies floating on the water in every single place and folks trapped on the bridge who had been frantically calling for assist.

    “We had no hope after witnessing the scenes. We were just hoping to see their bodies.” They looked for the boys for eight hours, he stated, however didn’t discover them.”

    Finally round six within the morning their our bodies had been fished out. “Our family is devastated and it is difficult to overcome the loss.”

    Arman was the eldest of three brothers, he added. “He was in school and was too young to die.”

    Nisar had simply began working at a spare components store and was serving to to earn cash for the household.

    “He has a sister who’s getting married subsequent yr however we do not know what’s going to occur now. It will take us ages, in actual fact our lives to return out of this tragedy.

    “They were young and we have nothing left now.”

    ‘Broken and shattered’ 
    The bridge had simply re-opened after a months-long renovation and studies stated it had not had correct approvals.

    Nine individuals from the administration agency that ran it had been arrested Monday on suspicion of culpable murder not amounting to homicide, police stated.

    “The government is clearly at fault,” stated Gaffar. “Our lives had been decreased to the mere 15 rupees (18 US cents) that the federal government earned from the tickets.

    “We don’t expect any justice. The powerful rule this country and the poor suffer. No one will ever be held responsible for the deaths.”

    Qadir Bhai Sama, 80, had fond reminiscences of often taking his grandson to the bridge as a toddler.

    Now 17, Sahil Dilawar Sama went to it for the final time on Sunday, with three pals.

    “He promised his mother he would be back in two hours but the next day only his body returned,” stated Sama. Of the three pals who accompanied him, one additionally died and the opposite two had been hospitalised, he added. “They were close to each other and even tried to save each other.”

    The official accountable for the graveyard, Mohammad Toufeeq, 40, stated his workers had been working with out a break to assist the victims’ households.

    “We haven’t slept or eaten anything since last night,” he stated. “The total space is in mourning.

    “We feel broken and shattered. There are no words to describe the loss and I think there’s nothing which will ease our pain.”

  • Here is a have a look at main bridge collapse incidents in India in current previous

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As Gujarat reels from one of many deadliest bridge collapse incidents in India’s current historical past, claiming no less than 141 lives, PTI remembers different such tragic episodes which have shocked the nation prior to now a number of years.

    According to a 2020 examine ‘Analysis of bridge failures in India from 1977 to 2017’, printed in worldwide journal ‘Structure and Infrastructure Engineering’, as many as “2,130 bridges” — excluding culverts and pedestrian bridges — have failed to supply supposed service or collapsed throughout numerous phases of building within the final 4 a long time.

    The pure disasters in India, in line with the quoted examine, have made probably the most devastating impact on the failure of the bridge infrastructure of an order of “80.3 per cent” — primarily based on a pattern measurement of two,010 bridges. Beside pure disasters, the deterioration of fabric has been the explanation for “10.1 per cent” of the failure of bridges, whereas overloading has contributed to “3.28 per cent” of bridge failures.

    “There are other noticeable causes of bridge failures such as blast by dissidents and accidents with vehicles or ships,” it added.

    Darjeeling bridge collapse (2011): Thirty-two individuals had been killed and over 60 injured when an previous picket footbridge over a spring gave away, beneath the strain of crowd, throughout a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) assembly at Bijanbari in Darjeeling district on October 22, 2011.The bridge, which had been weakened by the September 18 earthquake, collapsed when numerous individuals gathered on it for the assembly.
    Arunachal Pradesh footbridge collapse (2011): Just every week after the ill-fated Darjeeling incident, a footbridge over Kameng river in Arunachal Pradesh collapsed on October 29, 2011. It collapsed when 63 individuals had been over the bridge to catch an insect regionally referred to as ‘tari’. The bridge was constructed in 1987 and commissioned in 1992. At least 30 individuals, largely kids, had been killed within the incident.
    Vivekananda flyover collapse in Kolkata (2016): As many as 26 individuals had been killed and over 60 had been injured after an beneath building 2.2 km-long Vivekananda flyover collapsed in a congested market space in North Kolkata. The Hyderabad-based firm IVRCL, which was establishing the flyover, described the collapse as an “act of God”, searching for to painting it as a pure calamity.
    Majerhat flyover collapse in Kolkata (2018): In an identical incident on September 4, 2018, three individuals had been killed and 24 had been injured after a portion of South Kolkata’s over 50-year-old Majerhat bridge caved in following heavy rainfall within the metropolis.
    Mumbai footover bridge collapse (2019): Six individuals had been killed and over 30 individuals had been injured when a footover bridge close to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station collapsed on March 14, 2019. The no less than three-decade previous bridge, connecting the bustling CSMT with the Azad Maidan police station, was audited simply six months earlier than the incident. It is maintained by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

    ALSO READ | Morbi bridge collapse: ‘650 individuals had been allowed on bridge that would help solely 150-200’

    NEW DELHI: As Gujarat reels from one of many deadliest bridge collapse incidents in India’s current historical past, claiming no less than 141 lives, PTI remembers different such tragic episodes which have shocked the nation prior to now a number of years.

    According to a 2020 examine ‘Analysis of bridge failures in India from 1977 to 2017’, printed in worldwide journal ‘Structure and Infrastructure Engineering’, as many as “2,130 bridges” — excluding culverts and pedestrian bridges — have failed to supply supposed service or collapsed throughout numerous phases of building within the final 4 a long time.

    The pure disasters in India, in line with the quoted examine, have made probably the most devastating impact on the failure of the bridge infrastructure of an order of “80.3 per cent” — primarily based on a pattern measurement of two,010 bridges. Beside pure disasters, the deterioration of fabric has been the explanation for “10.1 per cent” of the failure of bridges, whereas overloading has contributed to “3.28 per cent” of bridge failures.

    “There are other noticeable causes of bridge failures such as blast by dissidents and accidents with vehicles or ships,” it added.

    Darjeeling bridge collapse (2011): Thirty-two individuals had been killed and over 60 injured when an previous picket footbridge over a spring gave away, beneath the strain of crowd, throughout a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) assembly at Bijanbari in Darjeeling district on October 22, 2011.The bridge, which had been weakened by the September 18 earthquake, collapsed when numerous individuals gathered on it for the assembly.
    Arunachal Pradesh footbridge collapse (2011): Just every week after the ill-fated Darjeeling incident, a footbridge over Kameng river in Arunachal Pradesh collapsed on October 29, 2011. It collapsed when 63 individuals had been over the bridge to catch an insect regionally referred to as ‘tari’. The bridge was constructed in 1987 and commissioned in 1992. At least 30 individuals, largely kids, had been killed within the incident.
    Vivekananda flyover collapse in Kolkata (2016): As many as 26 individuals had been killed and over 60 had been injured after an beneath building 2.2 km-long Vivekananda flyover collapsed in a congested market space in North Kolkata. The Hyderabad-based firm IVRCL, which was establishing the flyover, described the collapse as an “act of God”, searching for to painting it as a pure calamity.
    Majerhat flyover collapse in Kolkata (2018): In an identical incident on September 4, 2018, three individuals had been killed and 24 had been injured after a portion of South Kolkata’s over 50-year-old Majerhat bridge caved in following heavy rainfall within the metropolis.
    Mumbai footover bridge collapse (2019): Six individuals had been killed and over 30 individuals had been injured when a footover bridge close to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station collapsed on March 14, 2019. The no less than three-decade previous bridge, connecting the bustling CSMT with the Azad Maidan police station, was audited simply six months earlier than the incident. It is maintained by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
    ALSO READ | Morbi bridge collapse: ‘650 individuals had been allowed on bridge that would help solely 150-200’

  • Morbi bridge collapse: ‘650 folks have been allowed on bridge that would help solely 150-200’

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: It was a ‘Black Sunday’ at Gujarat’s Morbi on October 30.

    The Rs 17 go for a stroll down the well-known bridge turned out to be a loss of life ticket for a lot of.

    Sources now allege that Oreva firm, put in control of the operation and upkeep of the bridge for 15 years, of their quest to make simple cash triggered the tragedy by permitting the distribution of tickets with out paying any heed to the dealing with capability of the century-old suspension bridge.

    These sources claimed that round 650 tickets for the bridge had been offered on Sunday when the bridge may solely deal with 150 to 200 folks at a time.

    “There was a huge crowd on the bridge even though it was never easy to walk on the bridge, since it was a Sunday. My family and I were on the bridge when some youths started shaking it intentionally. People couldn’t stand without any support. Since I had a feeling that it may prove dangerous, my family and I came back after covering some distance on the bridge,” stated a fortunate Vijay Goswami, who returned after strolling midway.

    Another native resident puzzled, “Ultimately any tourist destination in a town is the responsibility of the municipality. But why has no crime has been registered against the municipal officials in this accident?”

    What has been completed is {that a} First Information Report (FIR) has lastly been registered in opposition to these accountable, however this has additionally led to questions being raised.

    The police criticism has been registered beneath Sections 304, 308 and 114 in opposition to the bridge upkeep company. But, the identify of Oreva or its proprietor finds no point out. No crime has been registered in opposition to the accountable municipal officers, too.

    VIEW PHOTOS | Tragic bridge collapse in Gujarat

    The FIR has named “the agency responsible for maintaining the bridge” and the “management agency” as accused, with out naming the corporate in control of upkeep and restore or particular people, beneath IPC sections 304 and 308 (culpable murder not amounting to homicide), stated B-division Morbi metropolis police official.

    Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality Sandeepsinh Jhala had on Sunday stated that the bridge over the Machchhu River in Morbi, Gujarat, was given to Oreva firm for operation and upkeep for 15 years. In March this 12 months, it was closed to the general public for renovation. It reopened on October 26 after renovation on the Gujarati New Year day. But the native municipality has not but issued any health certificates. Some locals puzzled how this was allowed to occur.

    According to a doc printed in native media, Jaysukh, the proprietor of Oreva, had inaugurated the bridge after its renovation.

    When the Rajkot Range IG was requested concerning the absence of the identify of the corporate within the FIR, he tried to duck the query and stated as an alternative “Action will be taken against whoever is found guilty. The SIT is formed and truth will come out in the investigation.”

    READ HERE | All you might want to learn about Oreva: CFL bulb, wall clock, e-bike maker however no skilled in bridge upkeep

    Built by Morbi maharaja

    The bridge that got here down was a European-style construction constructed by the Maharaja of Morbi Waghji Thakor, who was awarded “Night commander of the state of India” by Queen Victoria 125 years in the past. It was 765 ft lengthy, 4.6 ft large and 60 ft above the bottom.

    Waghji Thakor dominated Morbi until 1922. He determined to assemble the bridge, an inventive and technological marvel of that interval, to attach Darbargadh Palace with Nazarbag Palace (the residences of the then royalty).

    ALSO SEE:

    AHMEDABAD: It was a ‘Black Sunday’ at Gujarat’s Morbi on October 30.

    The Rs 17 go for a stroll down the well-known bridge turned out to be a loss of life ticket for a lot of.

    Sources now allege that Oreva firm, put in control of the operation and upkeep of the bridge for 15 years, of their quest to make simple cash triggered the tragedy by permitting the distribution of tickets with out paying any heed to the dealing with capability of the century-old suspension bridge.

    These sources claimed that round 650 tickets for the bridge had been offered on Sunday when the bridge may solely deal with 150 to 200 folks at a time.

    “There was a huge crowd on the bridge even though it was never easy to walk on the bridge, since it was a Sunday. My family and I were on the bridge when some youths started shaking it intentionally. People couldn’t stand without any support. Since I had a feeling that it may prove dangerous, my family and I came back after covering some distance on the bridge,” stated a fortunate Vijay Goswami, who returned after strolling midway.

    Another native resident puzzled, “Ultimately any tourist destination in a town is the responsibility of the municipality. But why has no crime has been registered against the municipal officials in this accident?”

    What has been completed is {that a} First Information Report (FIR) has lastly been registered in opposition to these accountable, however this has additionally led to questions being raised.

    The police criticism has been registered beneath Sections 304, 308 and 114 in opposition to the bridge upkeep company. But, the identify of Oreva or its proprietor finds no point out. No crime has been registered in opposition to the accountable municipal officers, too.

    VIEW PHOTOS | Tragic bridge collapse in Gujarat

    The FIR has named “the agency responsible for maintaining the bridge” and the “management agency” as accused, with out naming the corporate in control of upkeep and restore or particular people, beneath IPC sections 304 and 308 (culpable murder not amounting to homicide), stated B-division Morbi metropolis police official.

    Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality Sandeepsinh Jhala had on Sunday stated that the bridge over the Machchhu River in Morbi, Gujarat, was given to Oreva firm for operation and upkeep for 15 years. In March this 12 months, it was closed to the general public for renovation. It reopened on October 26 after renovation on the Gujarati New Year day. But the native municipality has not but issued any health certificates. Some locals puzzled how this was allowed to occur.

    According to a doc printed in native media, Jaysukh, the proprietor of Oreva, had inaugurated the bridge after its renovation.

    When the Rajkot Range IG was requested concerning the absence of the identify of the corporate within the FIR, he tried to duck the query and stated as an alternative “Action will be taken against whoever is found guilty. The SIT is formed and truth will come out in the investigation.”

    READ HERE | All you might want to learn about Oreva: CFL bulb, wall clock, e-bike maker however no skilled in bridge upkeep

    Built by Morbi maharaja

    The bridge that got here down was a European-style construction constructed by the Maharaja of Morbi Waghji Thakor, who was awarded “Night commander of the state of India” by Queen Victoria 125 years in the past. It was 765 ft lengthy, 4.6 ft large and 60 ft above the bottom.

    Waghji Thakor dominated Morbi until 1922. He determined to assemble the bridge, an inventive and technological marvel of that interval, to attach Darbargadh Palace with Nazarbag Palace (the residences of the then royalty).

    ALSO SEE:

  • Morbi bridge collapse: Gujarat varieties high-power probe committee

    By ANI

    MORBI (Gujarat): Gujarat authorities on Monday introduced {that a} high-powered committee has been set as much as examine the incident of the collapse of the suspension bridge in Morbi district of Gujarat wherein the dying toll has risen to 132.

    Briefing mediapersons right here, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi stated, “The death toll in the Morbi hanging bridge collapse incident has gone up to 132. The Chief Minister has constituted a high power committee yesterday itself while leaving Ahmedabad. All officers, posted at different locations, were asked to report at Morbi by 2 am. The investigation is going on.”

    The Gujarat Home Minister additional knowledgeable {that a} prison case has been registered in reference to the incident.

    “An investigation has begun today under the leadership of Range IGP,” Sanghavi stated. Everyone labored all by means of the night time. The Navy, NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force), Air Force and Army arrived on the spot shortly. More than 200 individuals have labored your entire night time for search and rescue operations,” Sanghavi stated.

    Teams together with Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF and Fire Brigade performed a search operation all through the night time to search out the victims who fell into the Macchu river after the bridge collapsed, as per officers.

    Indian Army groups deployed in Morbi, Gujarat carried out search and rescue operations for survivors of the mishap. All three defence companies have deployed their groups for search operations. Three Indian Coast Guard groups consisting of divers, tools, boats and different materials have been deployed on-site at Morbi since final night time, stated Defence Ministry officers.

    After the incident, Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Minister of State for Home Affairs Harshbhai Sanghvi, Minister Brijeshbhai Merja, and Minister of State Shri Arvindbhai Raiyani reached the incident spot at midnight and personally noticed the rescue operation and gave instructions.

    According to the small print from the district administration, after the mishap, the system was instantly activated and rescue operations began with the assistance of locals.

    Besides this, groups from different locations additionally began arriving on the spot. Around 40 medical doctors from numerous well being centres, Rajkot PDU Hospital and Surendranagar Civil Hospital began emergency remedy of the injured on the Morbi Civil Hospital.

    After the collapse of the bridge, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation boat and rescue supplies together with life jackets reached Morbi and began the rescue operation.

    Emergency ambulances from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh Metropolitan Municipality and Morbi Municipality have been working all through the night time to deliver the injured to the hospital instantly. Several personal ambulances have been additionally concerned within the rescue operation. Army workforce from Surendranagar joined with its three ambulances and tools, knowledgeable the officers. (ANI)

    MORBI (Gujarat): Gujarat authorities on Monday introduced {that a} high-powered committee has been set as much as examine the incident of the collapse of the suspension bridge in Morbi district of Gujarat wherein the dying toll has risen to 132.

    Briefing mediapersons right here, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi stated, “The death toll in the Morbi hanging bridge collapse incident has gone up to 132. The Chief Minister has constituted a high power committee yesterday itself while leaving Ahmedabad. All officers, posted at different locations, were asked to report at Morbi by 2 am. The investigation is going on.”

    The Gujarat Home Minister additional knowledgeable {that a} prison case has been registered in reference to the incident.

    “An investigation has begun today under the leadership of Range IGP,” Sanghavi stated. Everyone labored all by means of the night time. The Navy, NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force), Air Force and Army arrived on the spot shortly. More than 200 individuals have labored your entire night time for search and rescue operations,” Sanghavi stated.

    Teams together with Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF and Fire Brigade performed a search operation all through the night time to search out the victims who fell into the Macchu river after the bridge collapsed, as per officers.

    Indian Army groups deployed in Morbi, Gujarat carried out search and rescue operations for survivors of the mishap. All three defence companies have deployed their groups for search operations. Three Indian Coast Guard groups consisting of divers, tools, boats and different materials have been deployed on-site at Morbi since final night time, stated Defence Ministry officers.

    After the incident, Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Minister of State for Home Affairs Harshbhai Sanghvi, Minister Brijeshbhai Merja, and Minister of State Shri Arvindbhai Raiyani reached the incident spot at midnight and personally noticed the rescue operation and gave instructions.

    According to the small print from the district administration, after the mishap, the system was instantly activated and rescue operations began with the assistance of locals.

    Besides this, groups from different locations additionally began arriving on the spot. Around 40 medical doctors from numerous well being centres, Rajkot PDU Hospital and Surendranagar Civil Hospital began emergency remedy of the injured on the Morbi Civil Hospital.

    After the collapse of the bridge, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation boat and rescue supplies together with life jackets reached Morbi and began the rescue operation.

    Emergency ambulances from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh Metropolitan Municipality and Morbi Municipality have been working all through the night time to deliver the injured to the hospital instantly. Several personal ambulances have been additionally concerned within the rescue operation. Army workforce from Surendranagar joined with its three ambulances and tools, knowledgeable the officers. (ANI)