141 dead, Gujarat Bridge in India was disaster waiting to happen
Baku, October 31, AZERTAC
At least 141 people have died after a British-era bridge in Gujarat's Morbi in India collapsed last evening, according to NDTV.
Some 177 people have been saved and teams are searching for several others who are still missing.
Around 500 people, including women and children, were on the suspension bridge when the cables supporting it snapped, sending people crashing into the river below. The bridge could take the weight of only about 125 people, according to officials.
Many were performing Chhath puja rituals on the 150-year-old bridge located 300 km from Vadodara.
People fell on top of each other after the bridge snapped. Videos showed many desperately clinging to the remains of the bridge while some were seen swimming to safety.
The bridge over Machchhu river had been shut for seven months for repairs. It was reopened to the public on October 26, the Gujarati New Year, without a fitness certificate from the civic authorities.
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