Morbi bridge collapse: Immediately dived into river to save lives, says rescuer

When the 233-metres-long Hanging Bridge on Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi district collapsed at around 6.40pm on Sunday, local residents and fishermen near the coast were the first to respond. Hearing people’s screams for help, several of them rushed out to save lives, long before official rescue teams arrived.

A group of 10-12 youngsters, engaged with the construction of an upcoming Swami Narayan Temple and living in shanties near the scene of the tragedy, immediately swung into action.

“We were sitting near our homes when a friend came and told me that the bridge looked overcrowded. In no time we began hearing screams of people and rushed towards the bridge,” Pankaj Kumar (24), who works as a carpenter at the upcoming temple, said.

Several people were seen hanging on to the cables after the bridge collapsed, Ajay Kumar, a construction worker from Banaras, said.

“I, along with 10 others from nearby chawls, immediately rushed to the spot and dived into the water to rescue as many of them as possible. We perhaps rescued around 30 people or even more,” the 32-year-old said.

Kumar also said that some visitors were seen vigorously shaking the century-old bridge before the cables snapped. “The bridge suddenly caved in, plunging the people into the river,” he said.

He expressed regret over his inability to save a few victims. “The police and other rescue teams came about half-an-hour later. Three children died despite our efforts to save them. We managed to save one child after giving him mouth to mouth respiration,” he said.

Ramesh Zilariya (Ahir), who lives near the bridge, also failed to save his niece who had gone to the bridge.

“I rushed with ropes and some other equipment to save them. Unfortunately, I could not save my niece and some of my friends. I did manage to rescue some eight to ten people with the help of others,” he said.

Fishermen in the area also volunteered to help and rushed out with their boats.

“Some of us entered the water and saved people who managed to stay afloat. We took them to local hospitals. We, however, could not go very close to the area where most people fell, as the river there was around 20 metres deep,” Suleman, a fisherman, said.