Gujarat Morbi Bridge Collapse News Updates: Lawyers' Association 'Won't Represent' 9 Arrested; Bengal to Check 2,109 Bridges

Morbi Bridge Collapse News Updates: The Oreva Group had allegedly proposed to only “temporarily repair” the Morbi bridge to throw it open as it had been non-operational for months, a document accessed by CNN News18 stated. The government officials probing the bridge collapse that claimed 135 lives flagged also flagged a series of alleged lapses. The list includes failure to carry out a structural audit of the 140-year-old bridge over the Machchu river before and after renovation, use of materials that may have significantly increased its weight and the absence of an emergency rescue and evacuation plan.

According to a report in Times of India, the manner in which the Oreva Group was given the contract to renovate the bridge and the quality of work executed by it have been called into question. “The contractor seems to have just painted and polished all the cables ahead of the bridge being reopened to the public on October 26. We haven’t found anything so far to confirm if any of those worn-out cables were changed,” the report quoted a police officer privy to the probe as saying.

The 230m (754ft) bridge, built in the 1870s during British rule, reopened last week after being shut for months for repairs. It has been described as a “technological marvel” by the state’s tourism website.

Here Are All The Latest Updates Related to Morbi Bridge Collapse:

• The TOI report further quoted its sources as saying that the contractor had been given time until December to complete the renovation, but the reopening was advanced to coincide with Diwali and the Gujarati New Year with an eye on festive footfall.

• The report also stated that based on the primary inspection, the technical team was of the view that the renovation had been neither carried out nor assessed by someone with expertise in that field. “The work was apparently executed by local vendors and sub-contractors without any expert supervision. We are investigating if and how this was allowed,” an official was quoted by TOI. The initial response to the collapse of the bridge and how the evacuation was handled indicated there was no plan for an emergency, the team noted.

• Two bar associations in Gujarat have decided not to represent the nine arrested in connection with the tragedy. Senior advocate of Morbi Bar Association, AC Prajapati, told news agency ANI that both Morbi Bar Association and Rajkot Bar Association have passed resolutions that their lawyers won’t represent the accused of the renovation firm Oreva.

• Nine people arrested in connection with the bridge collapse were presented before a court on Tuesday. The court was told that Oreva group, the company which was given the contract for repairing, was not qualified for the job. The company that makes clocks and e-bikes was selected by the Morbi municipality, the prosecution said. The company was given the repair work of the bridge in 2007 and again in 2022, the prosecution told the court.

• The arrested include two managers, two ticket clerks, two contractors and three security guards. They are being investigated for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav said.

• The court was further told that the flooring of the bridge was replaced but the cable was not placed. A Hindustan Times report stated that the weight of the bridge increased due to the four-layered aluminium sheets of the new flooring. The cable could not take the weight of the changed flooring.

• Reports said hundreds of people were on the structure when it collapsed. Some plunged into the waters below and others clung on to the wreckage. Many victims were swept away by the fast-moving water. Officials said that most of victims were women, children and elderly people.

• A report by BBC stated that teams of emergency workers on Monday scoured the river in small boats, paddling through its muddy waters and the mangrove shrubs in search of the missing. Hundreds of locals too joined in the efforts, while distressed relatives searched for their loved ones.

• By evening, the rescuers had managed to recover 134 bodies. Search operations resumed on Tuesday morning. At least 170 people have been rescued so far.

• The rescue operation of the National Disaster Response Force is challenged by the water hyacinth and the lack of visibility in the dirty water.

• Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has sent condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the unfortunate collapse of a Morbi bridge. In his letter to Prime Minister Modi, Lee wrote, “I was saddened to learn about the collapse of the Morbi Bridge in Gujarat and the tragic loss of lives. “On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.

• “Our thoughts are with the people of India during this time, and I wish the injured a speedy recovery.” Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said there are currently no reports of Singaporeans among the casualties of the incident, adding that it will monitor developments closely.

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