Indian officials filed homicide charges Monday against the operators of a suspension bridge and arrested nine people.
Gujarat Police have arrested nine people – including officials of Oreva, the company that renovated the century-old footbridge, after at least 134 died when it was reopened, according to the Washington Post.
The 233-meter (765-feet) bridge over the Machchhu river in Morbi district in western Gujarat state snapped on Sunday. Scores of survivors clung to the wreckage, shouting for help.
The state’s home minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Monday morning that a criminal case was registered under the Culpable Homicide Act and manslaughter charges were filed.
A five-member team has been formed to investigate the incident. Gujarat-based Oreva has been accused of violating multiple safety rules, leading to the enormous tragedy just four days after the bridge reopened to the public.
Sandipsinh Zala, chief of the Morbi municipal agency said that Oreva did not obtain a fitness certificate from the authorities before opening the bridge.
Zala also criticized the bridge operators for selling as many tickets as possible without controlling the flow of people. Oreva is a large manufacturer known for producing clocks and electric bikes but has no experience in infrastructure development.
It was awarded a 15-year contract to repair, maintain and manage the bridge, known as “Jhoolta Pul” or hanging bridge in local parlance, in 2020. The company was charging 17 rupees (21 cents) for a ticket.
After a day of investigation, local police arrested nine people, including two Oreva executives, two contractors, three security guards, and two ticket window clerks, a Morbi police official said late Monday. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
A charge of culpable homicide falls short of murder and is similar to manslaughter in the U.S. legal system.
