List of deceased in Morbi bridge collapse released; over 49 children among the dead

Republic TV on Monday accessed the list of 132 persons who passed away owing to the collapse of a century-old suspension bridge in Morbi city of Gujarat. The deceased included 51 women and at least one senior citizen. In a tragic development, 53 children also lost their lives in this accident. Moreover, reports indicated that 12 members of the family of BJP Lok Sabha MP Mohanbhai Kundariya's sister also died. As of now, relief and rescue operations are underway at the accident site as a few persons are reportedly missing. 

Here's the full list of deceased: 

Morbi bridge collapse

Earlier in the day, Republic TV accessed the CCTV footage of the moment when the Morbi bridge collapsed on Sunday. The video showed that the bridge was crammed with people including women and children during the evening. Suddenly, it started shaking and then snapped, plunging them into the water below within seconds, at 6:31 pm as per the CCTV. Later, visuals showed parts of the bridge in the water.  The bridge which was shut for extensive repairs and renovation was reopened to the public on the Gujarati New Year on October 26.  

The state government formed a 5-member committee comprising top officials to investigate the tragedy. It also came to the fore that the Oreva Group and the Morbi Municipality had signed an agreement on March 7 this year. It is essentially a 15-year contract for maintenance, upkeep, renovation and taking care of amenities, staffing and ticketing. Thus, the firm was allowed to hike the ticket price for commuters by Rs.2 every year.

This assumes significance as there was a footfall of around 350 people there at the time of the accident, sources revealed. This came even as the bridge could carry only 150 people at once. However, sources informed Republic that around 675 tickets were sold for the bridge on Sunday. Meanwhile, a visibly emotional PM Modi condoled the loss of lives in the bridge collapse while addressing the National Unity Day programme in Kevadia. He also assured the people of the country that no stone will be left unturned in relief and rescue operations. He is likely to visit Morbi tomorrow.