AHMEDABAD | The company responsible for the renovation of the Morbi Bridge, which collapsed on Sunday in the western Indies killed 135 people, including 47 children, has been questioned by a prosecutor in light of the initial findings of the investigation.
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According to the police, the rusty main suspension cable was not modified and the old colonial-era work was overcoated, which weakened the structure.
Around 500 people had gathered for the Diwali celebrations on this pedestrian bridge around 200 kilometers west of Ahmedabad, the capital of the state of Gujarat.
Nine people linked to local group Oreva, makers of watches and electric bicycles but also managers of the bridge, have already been arrested on manslaughter charges following the disaster, one of the worst in India in decades.
Oreva “hired contractors who were not qualified enough,” Attorney General Harshendu Panchal told reporters after a preliminary hearing Tuesday night.
“The main bridge cable was not changed during the renovation,” he added.
“Police also believe the bridge’s weight was increased by four layers of aluminum pedestrian decking laid by the contractors, which may have caused the bridge to collapse,” he continued.
The 233-meter-long bridge, a major tourist attraction in the region, reopened to the public just last Wednesday after a seven-month renovation that cost an estimated 20 million rupees ($240,000).
According to Gujarat authorities, no Certificate of Conformity had been issued before the plant restarted.
Local authorities had given Oreva a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the bridge, but the company had no experience with this type of management, according to investigations.
Oreva Group director Deepak Parekh reportedly told the court, “It is God’s will that such an unfortunate incident should happen.”
He and another Oreva director were remanded in custody along with two contractors, while five ticket sellers and security guards were sent to jail to await trial.
Accidents involving old and poorly maintained infrastructure, including bridges, are commonplace in India, but given the scale of the tragedy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the scene on Tuesday and promised a “detailed and thorough investigation to examine all aspects related to the tragedy.” determine”. .
Flags were flown at half-mast in Gujarat on Wednesday and all official and entertainment events were cancelled.