At least 141 dead, many injured after suspension bridge collapse in India

At least 141 people died and many were injured after a cable bridge collapsed into a river in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Sunday evening, local media reported.

Officials told local media that when the bridge collapsed in the Morbi district, over a hundred people fell into the Machchu River. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were on the bridge, but officials fear the death toll could be rising. By early Monday morning, 177 people had been rescued.

A few days ago, the 19th-century colonial bridge reopened after a refurbishment. Officials said the bridge gave way because it could not handle the number of people on it.

“Several people fell into the river when the bridge collapsed. A rescue operation is underway,” Merja was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency. “There are reports that several people have been injured. You will be taken to hospitals.”

Videos on social media showed people holding onto the partially submerged bridge in distress, while another showed people scrambling to safety.

Rescue operations are underway and National Disaster Response Force teams are rushing to the site, local media reported. The Indian Army, Air Force and Navy also joined the rescue effort.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to his home state of Gujarat, said he was “deeply saddened by the tragedy”. His office announced compensation to the families of the dead and urged speedy rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, the state government said it had formed a special team to investigate the disaster.

The bridge collapse is Asia’s third major disaster in a month.

A Halloween crowd swarms on Saturday killed more than 150 mostly young people who attended celebrations in Itaewon, a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea. On October 1st police in Indonesia tear gas fired at a football match, which led to a scrum that left 132 dead as spectators tried to flee.