Morbi bridge collapse: 'Contractors unqualified; new flooring was heavy' | 10 points
The floor of the cable bridge in Morbi was repaired with four-layered aluminium sheets which made the bridge heavier while the cable was not replaced.
As the nine persons arrested in connection with the Morbi bridge collapse that claimed 135 lives on Sunday were presented in the court on Tuesday, the prosecution blamed the company which was given the contract for the repairing. The court was informed that the company was not qualified for the job. Four of the accused were sent to police custody while five others were remanded to judicial custody. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited Morbi and met the family members of the victims. Also Read | ‘6 of us went, only…’: Survivors share agony of losing friends in Morbi bridge collapse
Here are the latest updates on the Morbi bridge tragedy
1. The court was told that the contractor who carried out the repair work of the suspension bridge was not qualified for the job.
2. Oreva group, which makes clocks and e-bikes, was given the contract for repairing by Morbi Municipality. Two managers of Oreva and two subcontractors who carried out the recent repair are among those arrested.
3. The company was given the repair work of the bridge in 2007 and again in 2022, the prosecution told the court.
4. The flooring of the bridge was replaced but the cable was not placed, it said.
5. The weight of the bridge increased due to the four-layered aluminium sheets of the new flooring.
6. The cable could not take the weight of the changed flooring.
7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation and said that the need of the hour is to conduct an extensive inquiry to identify all aspects of the tragedy.
8. As the political blamegame is going on over the tragedy ahead of the election in the state, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday asked why the Gujarat government and the BJP have not yet answered the basic questions, even 48 hours after the tragedy. "If a question is asked, that is politicising a tragedy. If an answer is not given, what is that?" Chidambaram tweeted.
9. Two people are still missing and the rescue operation of the National Disaster Response Force is challenged by the water hyacinth and the lack of visibility in the dirty water.
10. No more survivors of the tragedy are expected by the rescue workers.
(With inputs from bureau and agencies)
