Morbi tragedy: Bridge maintenance firm booked for ‘culpable homicide’

Morbi (Gujarat) [India], October 31 (ANI): A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed by the Gujarat Police in the bridge collapse incident in Gujarat's Morbi district against private agencies for attempt to commit culpable homicide and culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
"An FIR has been registered against the maintenance and management agencies of the bridge, under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the India Penal Code," said Morbi B Division Police Inspector, Prakashbhai Dekavadiya.
The police also informed that the management person/ agency did not take due care and quality check of the bridge and kept it open for the people on October 26, displaying severe carelessness.
As per reports, the bridge was closed for about 8 months for maintenance and the repair work was being completed by a private agency.
"The cable bridge on the river was kept open without proper repair and maintenance and carelessness of the management and due to technical issues, the bridge collapsed at around 18:30 hours. Hence FIR has been registered under Sections 304, 308, and 114 of the Indian penal code against the Maintenance and Management person/agency," police inspector Dekavadiya said.
According to the latest reports, the death toll in the mishap went up to 132 on Monday morning. Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said that a criminal case has been registered in connection with the incident.
"An investigation has begun today under the leadership of Range IGP," Sanghavi said. Everyone worked all through the night. The Navy, NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force), Air Force and Army arrived at the spot quickly. More than 200 persons have worked the entire night for search and rescue operations," Sanghavi said.
Teams including Army, Navy, Air Force, NDRF, and Fire Brigade conducted a search operation throughout the night to rescue people who had fallen into the Macchu river after the bridge collapsed, as per officials.
After the incident, Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Minister of State for Home Affairs Harshbhai Sanghvi, Minister Brijeshbhai Merja, and Minister of State Shri Arvindbhai Raiyani reached the incident spot at midnight and personally observed the rescue operation and gave directions. (ANI)