Gujarat: PM Modi Visits Site Of Bridge Collapse In Morbi, Meets Injured In Hospital

Modi, who is on a visit to Gujarat, paid tributes to those who died in Sunday's bridge collapse.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, visited the Civil Hospital in Morbi to meet the injured in the Morbi Bridge Collapse incident that happened on October 30th. 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.

The Congress party and Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi over the renovation of Morbi civil hospital alleging that it is being done ahead of PM Modi’s visit to the city in the aftermath of the tragic bridge collapse on Sunday. Sharing photos and videos of whitewashing and other renovation work being done at the hospital, both Congress and AAP questioned the timing of the work. 

Terming the renovation as a preparation on “war footing”, Congress social media and digital platforms chairperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that it is being done ahead of PM Modi’s visit. 

“PM Modi will visit Morbi's Civil Hospital tomorrow - for him, the hospital is being painted on a war footing,” she tweeted. 

“In a hospital with gleaming walls and new tiles, the injured might feel better - there's hope. About 200 people are reported to have died in the Morbi tragedy,” she added. 

The Aam Aadmi Party, which is aggressively campaigning in the state for the upcoming Assembly elections, also shared a video of renovation work at the hospital and took a dig saying that it is being done so that “the poor building does not get exposed in PM Modi's photoshoot.”

“Overnight painting is being done in Morbi Civil Hospital so that the poor building does not get exposed in PM Modi's photoshoot tomorrow,” tweeted the official page of AAP. 

“141 people are dead, hundreds of people are missing, no action has been taken against the real culprits, but BJP workers are worried about the photoshoots..”, it added.

Modi, who is on a visit to Gujarat, paid tributes to those who died in Sunday's bridge collapse.

"I am in Kevadia, but my heart goes out to those who died in the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy," the prime minister said.

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.

PM Chairs High-Level Meeting 

On Monday, Prime Minister Modi chaired a high-level meeting at Raj Bhawan in Gandhinagar to review the situation in Morbi. He was briefed on the rescue and relief operations that are underway ever since the mishap occurred in Morbi. 

The high level meeting was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Minister of State Home Harsh Sanghavi, the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Gujarat along with other top officials including from the Home Department of the State and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority.