A cable bridge on the Manchu river in Gujarat’s Morbi district on Sunday afternoon collapsed killing at least 60 people, according to reports. The suspension bridge is a popular tourist destination in Gujarat and news agency Reuters reported via local sources that more than 400 people were on the bridge when it collapsed.

The bridge is a major tourist attraction in Morbi, which is situated about 200 kilometers from Gujarat’s capital Ahmedabad. The construction of the bridge was completed in 1879 by the colonial administration in India and it was inaugurated on February 20 of that year. As of 2022, the bridge is 143 years old.

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Over the years, the Morbi bridge has undergone several rounds of repair work. Reports say that the structure was 230-metre in length and spanned the entire width of the Manchu river connecting Darbargadh Palace and Lakhdhirji Engineering College. It is known by the name of Julto Pul locally.

The recent round of repairs in the bridge started six months ago under the aegis of the Gujarat government. It was re-opened for tourists a week before Diwali on October 26, 2022 – the Gujarati New Years’ day. There is no official mention of the capacity of the bridge and no one was reportedly present to supervise the crowd.

A five-member special investigation team has been formed by the Gujarat state government to probe the incident. It consists of IAS officers, the CID IG, and engineers with the state governments. Eyewitness accounts of the incident say that the bridge was filled beyond its capacity at the time of the collapse.

Also read: Gujarat: Bridge collapse in Morbi leaves at least 60 dead

On behalf of the state government, local MLA and state minister Brijesh Merja has taken responsibility for the tragedy. 

“The government takes responsibility for this tragedy. The PM has spoken to the Chief Minister. All top officials are on ground. The renovation happened last week. We are also shocked. We are looking into the matter,” Merja told NDTV.