At least 134 people were killed on Sunday night after a pedestrian bridge collapsed in the western Indian state of Gujara.
CNN reports nearly 200 people were on the bridge when it collapsed. Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said Monday the list of victims includes 30 children, with the majority of the deceased comprised of women and elderly citizens. More than 177 people have been rescued, according to authorities.
The 755-foot-long bridge, originally built during British colonialism in 1877, hangs over the Machchhu River in the city of Morbi. Footage of the incident shows the bridge snap, sending hundreds of people plunging into the water.
“People were hanging from the bridge after the accident, but they slipped and fell into the river when it collapsed,” an eyewitness told Reuters. “I could not sleep the entire night as I had helped in the rescue operation. I brought a lot of children to the hospital.”
Law enforcement has since arrested nine people, all of which are associated with Oreva group, the firm responsible for maintaining and operating the bridge.
A spokesperson for the company told the Indian Express newspaper: “While we are waiting for more information, prima facie, the bridge collapsed as too many people in the mid-section… were trying to sway it from one way to the other.”
