MORBI: The death toll from a foot bridge collapse in India rose to 137 on Monday, including many children, as police detained nine people as part of a criminal investigation into one of the deadliest accidents in the country in the past decade.

The nine — all associated with a company that maintained the bridge in Morbi — were being investigated for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav said in a statement.

At the graveyard, there were so many dead that their families had to queue up to bury them. Hundreds of mourners milled among the rows of graves at the Muslim cemetery; relatives dug graves for their kin with the help of staff, as mourners tried to comfort each other and volunteers offered the grieving families water.

Some hugged each other, some cried, some mourned in silence as they waited their turn to lay the bodies to rest, with a shortage of coffins slowing the process.

Colonial-era suspension bridge had reopened last week after renovation

As per the authorities, nearly 500 people were celebrating the last day of the Diwali festival on and around the colonial-era footbridge over the Machchhu River when supporting cables snapped on Sunday evening, plunging people about 10 metres into the river.

“People were hanging from the bridge after the accident, but they slipped and fell into the river when it collapsed,” said Raju, a witness who gave only one name. “I could not sleep the entire night as I had helped in the rescue operation. I brought a lot of children to the hospital.”

Police said they have registered a criminal case against unnamed people responsible for the renovation, maintenance and management of the bridge.

CCTV footage from just before the collapse showed a group of young men taking photos while others tried to rock the suspension bridge from side to side, before they tumbled into the river below as the cables holding it together gave way.

“Some 15-20 mischievous young kids were shaking the ropes of the bridge. Three times a noise came from the bridge before it collapsed,” said Ashwin Mehra, who was undergoing treatment after sustaining leg and back injuries when he plunged from the bridge.

He told ANI that he and six others had reached the shore by holding onto the bridge’s metal railings and netting.

Narendrasinh Jadeja, whose friend lost seven members of his family, including four children, said: “I cannot express how angry and helpless I am feeling.”

Some 400 people had bought tickets to get onto the bridge to celebrate the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals.

About 35 victims were under 14, according to a list of the deceased seen by Reuters. About 170 people had been rescued by the morning.

No fitness certificate

The bridge was built in 1877 under British colonial rule and reopened last week after repairs. The 233m loong pedestrian bridge connects the Darbargadh Palace heritage hotel and the town of Morbi. The site is about four hours by road from the state’s main city of Ahmedabad. In a statement, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences.

Local officials told Reuters that Gujarat-based electrical appliances maker Oreva group, who was manager of the bridge, had not told the authorities that the bridge would be reopened last week after repairs, adding that no certificate that it was fit for public use had been issued.

The company had been in charge of maintaining the bridge for 15 years, said Sandeepsinh Zala, the chief officer of Morbi municipality.

Jayrajsinh Jadeja, a local lawmaker from Prime Minister Naren­dra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, blamed Oreva for selling tickets without restrictions and said overcrowding led to the bridge collapse.

The bridge was previously maintained by the local municipality, which limited the number of people on the bridge at one time to 20, he said.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2022