Nine people have been detained after a foot bridge collapsed Sunday in India, killing over 130 people as of Monday morning, officials say.
Military teams were searching for survivors in the area around a 143-year-old suspension bridge that collapsed in Gujarat, India, plunging an estimated 400 or so people into the Machchu river below, according to NBC News. The bridge had reopened Oct. 26, which coincided with the first day of the Gujarati New Year celebrations and Hindu festival season, drawing in large crowds, the outlet continued.
Shocking!!
Bridge collapsed in #Gujarat and around 400 people fell into water.
Bridge was renovated and opened just 5 days ago. pic.twitter.com/k4cbq6MDTx
— Siddharth (@ethicalsid) October 30, 2022
Police told Reuters nine unnamed individuals associated with the renovations, maintenance and management of the bridge had been arrested after a criminal case was registered. The bridge’s manager had reportedly failed to inform authorities the area would be reopened after doing repairs, and no certificate proving it was fit for public use had been sent to his business, the outlet continued.
USA Today shared footage of the collapse, showing the moment the 764-foot-long cables appeared to snap and send those on the bridge plunging into the water below. (RELATED: Global Alert Issued Over Indian Cough Medication Following Child Deaths In Africa)
It remains unclear how many people were on the bridge when it collapsed, but one witness, Sidik Bai, told NBC there were so many pedestrians that he “could barely move.” He lived through the ordeal by clinging to the cables on the bridge, but his friend was crushed by the metal walkway. “Everyone was crying for help, but one by one they all began disappearing in the water,” he told the outlet.
Another witness named Ashwin Mehra said, “Some 15-20 mischievous young kids were shaking the ropes of the bridge. Three times a noise came from the bridge before it collapsed,” according to Reuters. Mehra was able to get to the banks of the river by grabbing onto the bridge’s netting and railings with six other people, the outlet reported.