(Ahmedabad) At least 30 people died Sunday evening in India, when a suspension bridge spanning a river collapsed in the state of Gujarat (west), said a member of the local government.
Posted at 12:13 p.m.
The bridge, dating from British colonial times, had just reopened to the public after months of work.
“Thirty bodies have been found at this point. A rescue operation is underway,” the official, Brijesh Merja, told AFP.
Local officials quoted by local media estimated that up to 500 people could be on the Morbi bridge when it collapsed, engaging in religious rituals.
More than 100 people were still wanted, according to local media which showed videos of people catching hold of debris from the structure of the bridge in the dark.
A rescue operation was launched, involving divers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Gujarat, where he is from, called for “the urgent mobilization of rescue teams”, and the provision of aid for all victims, his cabinet tweeted.