At least 32 people died and several are feared injured after after a 100-year-old plus suspension bridge collapsed into a river in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Sunday evening.
Brijesh Merja, a minister in the state government of Gujarat said, “Sixty people have died. More than 80 have been rescued”, however US News & World Report the death toll to be at 62 and more feared dead.
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 incident comes days after the 19th-century, colonial-era bridge was reopened to the public after being renovated. Officials said the bridge gave way as it could not handle the number of people on it.
The bridge is located in Morbi around 200 kilometers (120 miles) west of Gujarat’s main city, Ahmedabad.
Local media quoted officials as saying that those on the bridge were performing rituals for a major religious festival. Authorities said nearly 500 people including women and children were gathered on and around the bridge.
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