Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday held a review meeting as well as took stock of the ongoing rescue operation after the suspension bridge over Machchu river collapsed on Sunday.
According to the latest estimates, at least 132 people, including women and children, were killed and over 100 are receiving treatment for their injuries sustained after a cable suspension bridge in Morbi town collapsed on Sunday, plunging people into the Machchu river.
Later he reached the Machchu river site to oversee the rescue operations being conducted by the NDRF. He was accompanied by state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
The CM gathered the necessary details from the head of the rescue team, the Chief Minister's Office informed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Morbi in Gujarat on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Modi, who is in Kevadia said that rescue operations were underway and there would be no laxity in rescue and relief efforts. "The Gujarat government has been carrying out relief and rescue operations since yesterday. The Centre too is extending all help to the state government," PM Modi said.
The suspension bridge above the Machchu river in the Morbi district collapsed on Sunday evening.
The Gujarat police has filed a First Information Report under IPC sections 304 and 308 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in the bridge collapse tragedy.
The Gujarat government has constituted a five-member committee headed to probe the bridge collapse incident.
"An FIR has been registered against the maintenance and management agencies of the bridge, under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the India Penal Code," said Morbi B division police inspector Prakashbhai Dekavadiya.
Briefing mediapersons in Morbi, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said, "The death toll in the Morbi hanging bridge collapse incident has gone up to 132. The chief minister has constituted a high power committee yesterday itself while leaving Ahmedabad. All officers, posted at different locations, were asked to report at Morbi by 2 am. The investigation is going on."
The minister further informed that a criminal case has been registered in connection with the incident.
"An investigation has begun today under the leadership of Range IGP," Sanghavi said.
Teams including the Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF and fire brigade conducted a search operation throughout the night to find the victims who fell into the Machchu river after the bridge collapsed. Three Indian Coast Guard teams consisting of divers, equipment, boats and other material have been deployed on-site at Morbi since last night, defence ministry officials said.
Besides this, teams from other places also started arriving at the spot. Around 40 doctors from various health centres, Rajkot PDU Hospital and Surendranagar Civil Hospital started emergency treatment of the injured at the Morbi Civil Hospital.
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