More than 60 people died and several are feared injured after a cable bridge collapsed into a river in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Sunday evening, a government minister said.
Local media reports said hundreds plunged into the Machchu river when the bridge in the state’s Morbi district collapsed. It was not immediately clear how many people were on the bridge.
The bridge, which was built more than a century ago and recently reopened to the public after renovation, gave way as it could not handle the number of people on it, officials told the Press Trust of India news agency.
“Due to the bridge collapse, several people fell into the river. A rescue operation is underway,” state minister Brijesh Merja said. “There are reports that several people have suffered injuries. They are being rushed to hospitals.”
Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Rescue operations were underway, authorities said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced compensation to the families of the dead and urged for speedy rescue efforts, his office said in a tweet.
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