Nine Arrested For Indian Bridge Collapse That Killed More Than 130 People
Indian police arrested nine people on Monday (October 31st) in connection with a bridge collapse in western India that killed more than 130 people.
The nine people were associated with a company that maintained the Morbi Bridge and are being investigated for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav said in a statement.
Indian police have arrested nine people, including ticket workers, contractors and three security guards, for failing to regulate crowds before the bridge collapsed as they investigate the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in which at least 134 people, including many children, were killed.
CCTV footage taken just before the collapse showed a group of young men taking photos as others attempted to swing the Morbi suspension bridge from side to side, before falling into the river below when the cables broke.
The colonial-era bridge over the Machchhu River was packed with tourists enjoying the holiday festivities when it broke on Sunday night, sending people plummeting about 10 meters (33ft) into the water.
Ashwin Mehra, who was undergoing treatment after sustaining leg and back injuries, said he and six other people reached the shore by holding on to the metal railings and netting of the bridge.
“There were about 15 to 20 boys aged 20 to 25 shaking the bridge,” he told Reuters TV partner ANI. “…We heard noises three times, and the sixth time the cable (of the bridge) suddenly broke.”
A senior police official said nine people were arrested, including executives, ticket agents and three security guards, for failing to regulate crowds before the bridge collapsed.
Two people who secured contact to repair the structure, originally built in 1877, were among those arrested, Ashok Kumar Yadav said. He said there would probably be more arrests.
