‘Massive Corruption’: 9 Arrested for India Bridge Collapse Killing 135

Police in the Indian state of Gujarat arrested nine people Monday in connection with the collapse of the pedestrian suspension bridge in the town of Morbi, which collapsed on Sunday, sending its many occupants tumbling over 30 feet into the fast-moving Machchhu river. The official death toll from the catastrophe stands at 135, but the search for more bodies continues.

The 754-foot bridge was built across the Machchhu river under British rule 140 years ago. Praised by the state tourism bureau as a “technological marvel” for its remarkable longevity, the bridge was closed this year for extensive renovations and reopened only a week ago.

Morbi is a small town known for its ceramics industry and tourism, with the fabled footbridge serving as one of its biggest draws. The bridge was packed with hundreds of revelers on Sunday celebrating Diwali and Chhath Puja, the Hindu Festival of Lights and celebration of the sun god Surya, respectively. Diwali is the biggest holiday on the Hindu calendar, while Chhath Puja is a very popular regional event.

Security camera footage of the collapse showed several young men rocking the overcrowded bridge from side to side moments before its cables snapped. Some people were able to cling to the damaged bridge, but many others fell into the river and were swept away. Local officials said a large portion of the dead were elderly people and small children.

The nine people arrested on Monday included two managers, two contractors, two ticket clerks, and three security guards, all of them linked to a company called Oreva that was contracted to renovate and manage the bridge. The authorities did not identify the detained individuals by name but broadly said they were under investigation for “negligence.”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday demanded resignations from the Gujarat government, in addition to the investigation of Oreva.

“The Morbi bridge collapse was a result of massive corruption, and I pray for the victims,” he said. “Why was a watchmaking company which had no experience of bridge construction allowed to do so?”

The Oreva Group, whose full corporate name is Ajanta Manufacturing Private Ltd. and originally incorporated as Ajanta Quartz in 1971, is indeed primarily known as “the world’s largest clock manufacturing company.”

The group has subsidiaries that specialize in home appliances, street lights, and hydroelectric power, but no clear expertise in bridge construction or managing a tourist venue. Oreva was able to secure a 15-year contract to manage the bridge from the Morbi municipal government. When the bridge reopened after seven months of reconstruction, Oreva confidently declared it would need no major maintenance for at least ten years.

Local media reported on Monday that the bridge renovation work, which included replacing its venerable wooden planks with honeycombed sheets of aluminum, was subcontracted to a company called Devprakash Solutions.

India’s Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it will hold hearings on November 14 and plans to form a judicial commission to investigate the Morbi disaster. The court acted in response to an item of public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate named Vishal Tiwari.

Tiwari’s filing noted that Oreva reopened the bridge without obtaining a fitness certificate and allowed up to 500 people to occupy it at once, far beyond its reasonable capacity. He said Oreva “absolutely failed in the functioning of maintenance and repair,” while the state government equally failed to “supervise and administer the risk and suitability” of the Morbi bridge and other aging structures. 

Tiwari asked the court to establish “construction incident investigation departments” in every state to assess the safety of public works, especially old monuments and bridges.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hails from the state of Gujarat, visited the Morbi bridge on Tuesday and promised “a detailed and extensive inquiry which will identify all aspects relating to this mishap.”

Protesters in New Delhi on Tuesday demanded resignations from Gujarat and blamed Modi’s administration for not doing enough to combat corruption and incompetence.

“The country is angry today that around 150 people have died in Morbi, but this government did nothing apart from shedding crocodile tears,” one protester shouted before police broke up the demonstration.