India - Over 140 People Reported Dead In Cable Bridge Accident

[NEKROHUNTER]

Originally Posted by kellyhound

fkn beasts. Third world its a bad but India is the ass-world.

[cardsharksam]

What a bunch of assholes who does that

[jintsy]

Let's hope that fucker shaking it died

[Vixənn]

death toll is at 141 now.

[American1]

I never expected this to happen to the Golden Gates of India.

[lackofreality]

That guy with the white top on making it go from side to side, what a bellend. He’s the sort of person who gets in a full lift and start jumping up and down to make it move, this manoeuvre separates the lift phobics.

[Wolfpac148]

You can see the bridge weighted down in the one area and starting to buckle under the smell.

[TSoprano007]

I mean come on, these people are truly just not a smart race. If you can't realize weight is an issue on a bridge based on shear bodies on the bridge then everyone on that bridge is just super fucking stupid. And what the fuck was the guy trying to kick the guard rail fence oprn thinking anyway>>>WTF?? Fuck those people

[William May]

Originally Posted by NEKROHUNTER

fkn beasts. Third world its a bad but India is the ass-world.

I think it could more accurately be termed "The half-ass world"

[kellyhound]

What happened?
Some 200 people are estimated to have been on the bridge across the Machchhu River in the town of Morbi when it collapsed into the water below on October 30 at around 6:30 p.m. local time, according to Gujarat authorities.

At least 30 children were among the 135 killed, officials said. It is unclear how many people remain missing and authorities have not released a figure for those injured.

A video appears to show some of the men shaking the bridge from side to side before the structure gives way, plunging the people standing on it into the river.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on October 31 that a cable appeared to have snapped.

The Morbi Suspension Bridge was built during British rule around 1900 and is 230 meters (755 feet) long and just 1.25 meters (4 feet) wide.

For decades, it’s been a popular tourist attraction in the riverside town, whose cobblestone streets carry the architectural legacy of colonial rule.

The bridge was closed for six months of renovations in April, according to the managing director of Oreva, a Gujarat-based electrical appliances manufacturer that oversaw the maintenance work.

At a reopening ceremony on October 26, the managing director told reporters the structure would not need any major work for “eight to 10 years,” according to a video of the event posted to social media.

A five-person special investigation committee has been established to investigate the incident, Gujarat Home Minister Sanghavi said on October 31.

Search and recovery operations by hundreds of personnel from state and national disaster relief teams and the Indian military remain ongoing.

Nine people have been arrested and are being investigated for culpable homicide charges, state police said on October 31. All of the suspects are associated with Oreva.

They include two managers, two ticket clerks, two contractors and three security guards, according to senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav.

Since the deadly incident, public scrutiny has turned to Oreva, a company based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s largest city.

Oreva started out as a clockmaker before diversifying into electronics, according to its website, which describes the firm as the “World’s Largest Clock Manufacturing Company” and “one of the Major Brands in India.”

Questions asked after 135 people killed as to why repair contract was given to local firm better know for making clocks

Anger is growing in India over allegations that corruption was responsible for the collapse of a bridge in Morbi in Gujarat leaving 135 people dead, amid claims that a cover-up is under way to shield those responsible.

Oreva makes watches, clocks and lighting. There is no evidence of it having any experience of bridge repairs or infrastructure. Nor is any mentioned on its website.

The opposition politician Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi party, alleged that “massive corruption” was responsible for the bridge collapsing only four days after it had been renovated.

“Why was a watchmaking company which had no experience of bridge construction allowed to do so?” said Kejriwal during a press conference.

Congress party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also alleged corruption, asking pointedly whether Oreva had some connection with the BJP.

His other allegation was that the government rushed the reopening because Gujarat is going to the polls for the state assembly in December and the reopening of the bridge, a well-known tourist attraction, could have been something for the BJP to promote in its favour.

As the controversy escalated, more details have emerged of what was the worst accident in India for many years. Stories have emerged of a couple who lost both of their young sons, a tea seller who rescued three children from the muddy waters only to see them die in the ambulance, a toddler who survived but lost her parents, and entire families perishing.

Local people have been helping to arrange the cremations and burials of the dead. In Indian tradition, the final rites have to be performed as soon as possible after the person’s death.

Some of the dead are believed to be migrant labourers from other states. Families who had loved ones working in Morbi are arriving from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to see if they are among the dead.

Alongside the anger, there is growing concern at a possible cover-up, prompted by the identities of the nine people arrested. Indian media reported that two of those detained were managers with Oreva although their seniority was not known. The others were security guards and ticket sellers on the bridge.

“The question is, who in the municipal authority decided to open the bridge without a clearance certificate?