The Morbi bridge’s repair and management contract was given to the Morbi-based Oreva Group in March of this year.
Actions taken on the accused
Nine people have been taken into custody, a day after Morbi bridge collapses in Gujarat. The incident which took lives of more than 140 people. 47 children and approximately 50 women were among the casualties. Hence, Dozens of people lost multiple relatives.
Prateek Vasava, a local resident, was standing on the Morbi bridge, who claimed that some kids had fallen into the river. “I intended to drag some of them along with me, but they had drowned or had been carried away by the river,” he said.
Arrest of People involved
Among the arrested are three security officers whose role was to supervise the crowd, managers of Oreva, the firm that renovated the Morbi bridge, ticket collectors, and bridge repair contractors.
Four days after the bridge was reopened for the public, this horrific tragedy occurred. Gujarat-based Oreva has been charged with numerous safety regulations that caused the incident. However, none of its top executives have been arrested. Ashok Yadav, chief of the Morbi police, said on Monday, “We won’t allow the guilty to get away, and we won’t spare anyone.”
The watchmaker Oreva allegedly transferred the “technical part of the bridge renovation” to a smaller company known as Devprakash Solutions, which has an unknown track record, shortly after agreeing to a 15-year contract with the Morbi city administration.
More on Morbi Bridge maintenance deal and FIR lodged
The old colonial-era bridge needed repairs, so Oreva was brought on board in March. Seven months later, on October 26, when the Gujarati New Year was celebrated the bridge was once again made accessible to the general public on the occasion. Within a few days, around 10,000 people have visited it.
In accordance with Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) of the Indian Penal Code, an FIR has been filed by Morbi B Division Police against the maintenance and management organisations of the bridge.
Oreva was ordered by its contract to close the bridge for eight to twelve months so that maintenance and repairs could be made. The police stated in the FIR which doesn’t mention any specific name, that “opening the bridge last week was a very irresponsible and thoughtless gesture.”
According to officials, approximately 500 people purchased tickets worth 17 rupees on Sunday, which led to crowding on the “hanging bridge” and the failure of the old metal wires. CCTV footage showed a few people on the bridge wobbling along with the structure, which could barely support 125 people. The agreement gave the company permission to increase ticket prices, every year until 2037.
Statements of Oreva Managing Director Jaysukhbhai Patel
Oreva Managing Director Jaysukhbhai Patel had told reporters that the company had finished “100% renovation with two crores” before reopening the bridge, last week. Patel stated that the bridge would last for “eight to ten years”. But, it didn’t last even a week.
There were many questions raised after Mr. Patel gave his statement. “We don’t want to put stress on the durability of the bridge, so to limit the number of entries and the crowd, we are going to charge a fee.” Patel said, when asked why the company was selling tickets. The company further added that it is considering proposals to open the bridge for two hours at night.
Statements made by the opposition party leaders in Gujarat
Congress leader Pawan Khera told journalists in Ahmedabad that the Chief Minister should resign right away because he also serves as the State’s Minister of Urban Development.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition Congress party, called for a judicial investigation to determine how the bridge fell just “five-six days” after it was reopened and who authorized the general public to use it.
Top Congress leaders including Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan Chief Minister) went to Morbi to meet with the families of the victims and called for strict retribution for those responsible.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit and condolences.
Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has promised compensation for the families of victims. PM Modi stated that the tragedy has left him “deeply saddened” and its source would be investigated thoroughly.
Today, afternoon (1/11/2022), PM Modi is going to visit Morbi and probably will meet with the families of victims.
On Monday, he first attended the National Ekta Diwas festivities at the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, followed by the inauguration of certain development projects at Tharad and initiatives for the Railways in Ahmedabad. The roadshow for the prime minister in Ahmedabad was canceled following the Morbi tragedy.
Additionally, PM Modi called a review meeting at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar and gave instructions to the staff to offer assistance to the families affected by the Morbi bridge tragedy.
Read More: Morbi Bridge In Gujarat Was Collapsed On Sunday Eve (30 Oct)
