Nine persons were arrested the day after 141 people died in a bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat. There were also ticket vendors, security personnel, and representatives of Oreva, the firm that refurbished the bridge.
Four days after the bridge reopened to the public, an enormous catastrophe occurred. Gujarat-based Oreva has been charged with breaking numerous safety regulations that caused it.
The watchmaker Oreva allegedly outsourced the "technical part of the bridge renovation" to a smaller business with an unproven track record, Devprakash Solutions, shortly after agreeing to a 15-year contract with the Morbi city government.
The old colonial-era bridge was in need of repairs when Oreva was contracted in March. On October 26, the day of the Gujarati New Year, the bridge was reopened to the public after being closed for seven months. By virtue of its contractual obligation, the company was required to close the bridge for up to eight to twelve months of upkeep and repairs. The police claimed in an anonymous FIR that opening the bridge last week was a "very irresponsible and dangerous move."
According to the FIR, those in charge of the bridge's repair, maintenance, and management "did not do the repair/maintenance work" properly. They were aware of the potentially lethal risks but "did not undertake an appropriate quality check," it continued.
According to officials, tickets were sold for Rs 12 to Rs17 to close to 500 people yesterday, which led to crowding on the "hanging bridge" and the failure of the ageing metal wires. CCTV footage showed a few people on the bridge wobbling the structure, which could barely support 125 people.
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