Gujarat: PM Modi Chairs High-Level Meet On Bridge Collapse, Says Detailed Inquiry Need Of The Hour

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Gujarat's Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who holds the rank of minister of state, were also present in the meeting.

Morbi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi at the site to take stock of the situation after an old suspension bridge over the Machchhu river collapsed on Sunday evening (Source: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a high-level meeting on the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy that killed at least 136 people. During the meeting, PM Modi said a "detailed and extensive" inquiry to identify all aspects relating to the Morbi bridge collapse is the need of the hour, as reported by the news agency PTI.

According to PTI, PM Modi asserted that key learnings from the inquiry must be implemented by the earliest, officials said.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Gujarat's Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who holds the rank of minister of state, were also present in the meeting.

PM Modi, along with Gujarat CM, visited the Civil Hospital in Morbi to meet the injured in the Morbi Bridge Collapse incident that happened on October 30th.

“Prime Minister Modi met the victims and asked them about the incident with sympathy. He also asked them about the treatment they received in the hospital,” Gujarat health secretary Manoj Agarwal told reporters as reported by PTI. 

A century-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi city collapsed on Sunday evening claiming the lives of 136 people. 

Before visiting the hospital, PM Modi visited the bridge collapse site and reviewed the ongoing search and rescue operations. PM was briefed about the rescue operations at the site where the British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river collapsed.

Nine people were arrested on Monday evening in connection with the incident, including officials from watch manufacturer Oreva, who was tasked with the renovation of the bridge. Among those arrested include two managers, two repair contractors, three security guards and two ticket sellers, sources told ABP News.

An FIR has been registered on charges of culpable homicide against agencies given the task of maintenance and operation of the bridge.