Morbi, Gujarat: The bridge collapse incident in Gujarat’s Morbi has sparked discussions amongst various sections of society about the government’s role in preserving such old bridges. While the Gujarat government has declined any involvement in the bridge’s renovation, it has come to the fore that the Oreva company had been given the work of renovation of the bridge that took the lives of around 135 people after it collapsed on October 30.
After this horrifying incident, 9 people were arrested among which are Oreva Company officials who were involved in the work of renovation of the bridge. In the latest hearing of the case on the court, one accused said that “act of god” was the reason behind the collapse which had sparked controversies once again.
HS Panchal, the Additional Public Prosecutor of the case said, “One of the two managers of Oreva company (that have been arrested) told the court that it is an ‘Act of God’.” He further stated the actual reason for the accident and said, “In the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, the Investigating Officer (IO) said that the cable (of bridge)was rusting away. The Investigating Officer says that only flooring of the bridge was done and the cables were not changed, oiling-greasing also wasn’t done.”
Out of the 9 people arrested for the case, 4 have been sent to police custody and 5 have been sent to judicial custody. “Out of the 4 people who were sent to Police custody, two are managers at Oreva Co and two others did fabrication work for the bridge. The five others who were sent to judicial custody are security personnel and ticket vendors”, HS Panchal said further adding, “In the report, the Investigating Officer (IO) stated that the tender process did not take place and contract was directly allotted.”
Reportedly, around 135 people have lost their lives in the incident and over 100 others have suffered major injuries and are getting treatment. The rescue operation is still on and the rescue team suggests there might be more bodies in the river. They are deploying more scuba divers to carry out the search operation furthermore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the accident site yesterday and offered his condolences to the victims.