New Delhi: Muddy waters of Gujarat’s Machchu River are impeding visibility of divers, rescuers said Monday, as multiple teams continued to search the river bed to find those still missing after a cable bridge carrying hundreds collapsed on it last evening, killing at least 132 people.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is commanding the search and rescue operation in Morbi, the site of the accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday, adding, “Rarely in my life have I experienced such pain. On one hand, there is a pain-riddled heart, and on the other, there is the path to duty.”
Modi was at Kevadiya, Gujarat on Monday to participate in Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel’s birth anniversary celebrations. The world’s tallest statue at the spot – that of Patel – overlooks the Narmada River and was inaugurated on 31 October, 2018. The 182-metre monolith is called the Statue of Unity.
Modi said Gujarat had drawn up a committee to investigate how the suspension bridge collapsed, merely days after it reopened after a seven-month renovation.
“I assure the people of the country that there will be no laxity in rescue and relief operations,” the Prime Minister said, expressing his condolences to the bereaved families. He added that priority treatment was being given in hospitals to the injured.
The Centre has already announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, while the state will give Rs 4 lakh.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) commandant V.V.N. Prasanna told news agency ANI: “Such a number of casualties in one area is a first for us. Usually, it is an incident of boat capsizing. The only challenge here is that this is muddy water, which causes visibility issues when our divers go under.”
Prasanna added: “We divided the area into three zones among the civil administration, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the fire services, the Army, the Navy, the Indian Air Force and the NDRF. Our divers rescued people and recovered bodies from the area allocated to us. We suspect there might be people trapped under the floor of the bridge that collapsed. We are taking the help of deep divers.”
Drones are also helping rescuers to find those still missing. Apart from defence officials, three Indian Coast Guard teams have also been scouring the waters since last night.
NDRF Deputy Inspector General Mohsen Shahid said two people were still missing, apart from the 132 bodies that have been pulled out. “Five teams of the NDRF are deployed. It’s a matter of time and search operations will end soon,” Shahid said.
ANI quoted eye-witness Haseena as saying: “I can’t describe it in words. There were children as well. I helped people as if they were members of my own family. I also gave my vehicle to carry bodies to the hospital. I have never seen anything like this.”
A local tea seller said: “I set up shop here every Sunday. I saw people hanging from cables when the bridge snapped… Then they began to slip into the water. I was here overnight, trying to help. It was heart-wrenching to see a heavily-pregnant woman die.”
Also read: Search operation went on all night to rescue victims of Morbi bridge collapse