Morbi Bridge Collapse: Shoddy Renovation, Over 3,000 Tickets Sold On Day Of Tragedy, Reveals Report

The Oreva Group sold 3,165 tickets on October 30 a report by a Forensic Science Laboratory has found. It also revealed that the renovation and maintenance of the bridge were shoddy.

The Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat resulted in the death of 135 people.

A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report on the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat has revealed that the Oreva Group had sold over 3,000 tickets on the day the tragedy occurred.

District government pleader Vijay Jani said: "The group had sold 3,165 tickets on October 30 alone and there was no coordination between ticket booking offices on either end of the bridge.”

The FIR stated that at least 250 to 300 people were present on the bridge when it collapsed after one of the cables snapped, resulting in the death of 135 people. The bridge had the capacity to take the weight of only about 125 people at a time.

The Oreva group was tasked with the renovation and maintenance of the Morbi bridge. Oreva Group, in turn, hired Dhrangadhra-based Dev Prakash Solution to renovate the bridge. After renovation, the bridge was opened to the public on the Gujarati New Year on October 26.

The prosecution in the case that is being heard in the district and sessions court, both the repairing contractors were unqualified to carry out such repair and renovation work.

The FSL report found that rusty cables, broken anchor pins, and loose bolts were among several lapses that led to the collapse of the bridge. The report also stated that the new metal flooring had added to the weight of the bridge.

Police have so far arrested nine persons in the case, including four from the Oreva Group.

"The report revealed that the cables on which the entire bridge was hanging were rusted. The anchor pins that hold the cables on the ground were broken while the bolts on the anchor were loose by three inches. The prosecution told the court that it is definitely considered as negligence," said district government pleader Vijay Jani.

The arrested persons included Oreva managers Dipak Parekh and Dinesh Dave, and repair contractors Prakash Parmar and Devang Parmar, owners of Dev Prakash Solution, hired by the corporate group for the renovation of the bridge, among others.

(With inputs from PTI.)