Guwahati: Gujarat Police filed a FIR on Monday against private organisations for attempted culpable homicide and culpable homicide that did not equal to murder in relation to the Morbi district bridge collapse tragedy.
“An FIR has been registered against the maintenance and management agencies of the bridge, under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the India Penal Code,” said Morbi B Division Police Inspector.
The management individual or organisation failed to properly maintain and inspect the bridge on October 26 while keeping it open for traffic, according to the police’s report.
According to accounts, the bridge was shut down for maintenance for almost 8 months while a private company handled the repairs.
“The cable bridge on the river was kept open without proper repair and maintenance and carelessness of the management and due to technical issues, the bridge collapsed at around 18:30 hours. Hence FIR has been registered under Sections 304, 308, and 114 of the Indian penal code against the Maintenance and Management person/agency,” police inspector said.
According to the latest reports, the death toll in the mishap went up to 132 on Monday morning. Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said that a criminal case has been registered in connection with the incident.
“An investigation has begun today under the leadership of Range IGP,” Sanghavi said. Everyone worked all through the night. The Navy, NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force), Air Force and Army arrived at the spot quickly. More than 200 persons have worked the entire night for search and rescue operations,” Sanghavi said.
According to officials, teams from the Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF, and Fire Brigade carried out a search operation all night to find persons who had fallen into the Macchu River when the bridge collapsed.
Following the incident, at midnight, the Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Minister Brijeshbhai Merja, Minister of State Shri Arvindbhai Raiyani, Minister of State for Home Affairs Harshbhai Sanghvi, and Minister of State Shri Arvindbhai Raiyani arrived at the scene and personally oversaw the rescue effort while providing instructions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Morbi bridge collapse site on Tuesday (November 1).
The Prime Minister condoled the deaths in the bridge collapse incident in Gujarat’s Morbi city and stated that rescue ops were underway and there would be no laxity in rescue and relief efforts.
The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering on the occasion of the 147th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar in Kevadia.
“I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident. In this hour of grief, the government is with the bereaved families in every manner. The Gujarat Government has been carrying out relief and rescue operations since yesterday. Centre too is extending all help to the State Government,” PM Modi said.
“I am in Ekta Nagar but my mind is with the victims of Morbi. Rarely in my life, would I have experienced such pain. On one hand, there is a pain-riddled heart and on the other hand, there is the path to duty,” the prime minister said.
PM Modi said that Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel had reached Morbi last night and has been holding the command of search and rescue ops since yesterday.
“The State Government has constituted a committee to investigate this incident. I assure the people of the country that there will be no laxity in rescue and relief operations,” PM Modi said.