9 held as Gujarat footbridge collapse toll rises to 134, search to resume today

古吉拉特邦吊桥坍塌事故死亡人数升至134人，9人被拘，搜救工作今天继续进行

MORBI: Bodies piled up overnight in graveyards and crematoriums of this historical Gujarat town, famous for its clocks and ceramics, as the toll in Sunday's suspension footbridge collapse mounted to 134 — including 48 children — amid a continued search for more victims and improbable survivors in the algae-covered Machchhu river.

Nine people were arrested, two of them managers of the Oreva Group that recently renovated the 143-year-old British-built footbridge, and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder after the district administration filed an FIR that doesn't name the company or any individual. Two ticketing clerks, as many sub-contractors and three security guards make up the rest of the list.

莫尔比：一夜之间，在古吉拉特邦这个以钟表和陶瓷闻名的历史小镇，墓地和火葬场堆满了尸体，周日的吊桥坍塌事故导致的死亡人数已上升到134人，其中包括48名儿童，搜救人员仍在长满水藻的马赫胡河中继续搜寻遇难者和生还希望渺茫的幸存者。

警方逮捕了9人，其中两人是Oreva集团的经理，该集团最近翻修了这座有着143年历史的英国人建造的人行吊桥。他们被控犯有过失杀人罪，但因为当地政府提交了一份调查报告，没有列出该公司或任何个人的名字，所以尚不构成谋杀。名单上还有两名售票员，多家分包商和三名保安。

As the clamour to fix responsibility for the tragedy mounted, Morbi was left counting its dead as military divers scoured the 25-foot-deep river for bodies of those missing since the bridge collapsed. Although police claimed all those missing had been accounted for, the search will resume Wednesday, officials said.

Government hospitals in the town treated 56 people, of whom 15 are still to be discharged. Till late afternoon, people were spotted dashing in and out of hospitals with pictures of loved ones in the hope of either finding them alive. More often than not, the desperate search would culminate in the devastating feeling of being led to the morgue and seeing the shroud lift off a familiar face.

民众对此次事故的声讨呼声越来越高，军方潜水员在25英尺深的河中搜寻失踪者的尸体，莫尔比的死亡人数也在不断增加。官员们说，尽管警方称已查明所有失踪者的下落，但搜救工作将于周三恢复。

镇政府医院收治了56位伤员，其中15人仍留院观察。直到傍晚，还有民众拿着亲友的照片在医院里穿梭，希望能找到侥幸逃生的亲人。多半情况下，民众绝望的寻找都以伤心欲绝的一幕告终：他们被带到停尸房，掀开裹尸布后看到了一张熟悉的面孔。

Two days before the bridge had been reopened to the public on October 26, coinciding with the Gujarati New Year, Oreva Group promoter Jaysukh Patel had told reporters in Morbi that the structure would easily survive another 15 years after having undergone “100% renovation”.

Sources said the five-member special investigation team formed by the government to probe the collapse suggested lapses in renovation by the contractor, besides poor crowd management that led to a more than 400-strong holiday crowd being perched on the bridge when it gave way.

Morbi Municipality apparently doesn't have any data on the load capacity of the bridge, prompting the administration to call in structural engineers and a Forensic Science Laboratory team to find out the technical details required to arrive at a conclusion. “It is estimated that 125-150 people can take the bridge at a time. They are allowed to walk, but not stand and wait at any spot,” an official said.

10月26日是古吉拉特邦的新年，就在这座桥重新向公众开放的两天前，Oreva集团的董事杰苏克帕特尔（Jaysukh Patel）在莫尔比告诉记者，经过“彻底翻新”后，这座桥可以轻轻松松地再用上15年。

消息人士称，政府为调查塌桥事故组建的五人特别调查小组表示，承建商在翻修方面存在失误，此外，糟糕的人群聚集管理导致桥塌时有400多名游人挤在桥面上。

莫尔比市政当局显然没有关于大桥承载力的数据，这促使市政当局召集了结构工程师和法医科学实验室团队一起寻找事故结论所需的技术细节。“据估计，这座桥同时可容纳125-150人。他们可以在桥面行走，但不能在某个点久留。”

While the renovated bridge was open to crowds for four days leading to the weekend, nobody in the administration had apparently checked whether the stipulated safety certifications had been issued prior to that. Video footage of the accident shows some people vigorously rocking the suspension bridge in the last few seconds leading to the collapse.

According to the FIR filed by Prakash Dekavadia, an inspector with Morbi B Division police, the bridge collapsed around 6.30pm Sunday. “Around 250 to 300 people, including kids, women and elderly people, were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. I called the police control room and asked for additional forces from Morbi district,” the report states. “The bridge collapsed for want of proper maintenance and management... This is an act of criminal negligence which resulted in the tragedy.”

尽管周末前，翻修后的大桥已对人群开放了四天，但政府部门显然没有核实过大桥是否已获得安全证书。从事故的视频片段中可以看到，有些人在导致桥塌的最后几秒钟里大力摇晃吊桥。

根据莫尔比B区警察督察帕拉卡什德卡瓦迪亚（Prakash Dekavadia）提交的调查报告，这座桥是在周日下午6点半左右倒塌的。“桥塌时，桥上约有250到300人，包括儿童、妇女和老人。我打电话给调派中心，要求从莫比区增派人手。由于缺乏妥善的维护和管理，这座桥塌了……这是一起过失犯罪导致的悲剧。”

以下是印度时报读者评论：

P Sheth•6147• P Sheth•5 hours ago

Contract given to clock making company to renovate the bridge - do not ask why? Opened the bridge in time for election. Now blame the crowd, the gate keepers, the ticket sellers. Remember the official version - nobody in India died during Covid due to lack of Oxygen. Now watch BJP IT cell take over this coment board again - to hide any criticism.

桥梁翻修的合同居然给了钟表制造公司—不问问为什么吗？这座桥在选举时踩着时间点开放。现在只能怪人群、保安和售票员了。毕竟官方说过——新冠疫情期间，印度没有人因缺氧死亡。现在我们就等着瞧人民党IT部门监控这个论坛，删评论吧。

Amason•18584• Amason•Bengaluru•6 hours ago

Is any minister resigning like in the West owing moral responsibility? No, because they have no ethics, principles and decency that is the hallmark of the majority of this nation's culture!

有哪位部长因道德责任问题像西方国家的领导那样辞职吗？答案是没有，因为这些人完全没有道德、原则和体面，这个国家大多数人的文化特质也只是如此！

DevN•374• Amason•pune•5 hours ago

In the west, people donot use fake ids to make comments like yours.

在欧美国家，人们不会像你们这样用假ID发言。

Surya Rajbansi•2932• DevN•1 hour ago

Why comentetor's I'd is important than the negligence of the work by the Govt? Commentator May be any one of the World. We should work on common people's safety. Who gave???? One type of common people forgetting their responsibilities after getting power of Minister post.Very Sad...

为什么你认为评论者的ID比政府的玩忽职守更要紧？全世界任何一个人都可以发表评论。我们要努力保障老百姓的安全。谁给过老百姓安全呢? ? 原来的平头百姓当上了部长，就忘了自己的责任。对此我非常难过……

DevN•374• Udit Saraf•pune•3 hours ago

Agreed !! shame on Modi ....

同意！莫迪真可耻。

User Chouhan•26719• User Chouhan•us•5 hours ago

It is shameful that the owners of the contracted company are not in Jail. They should be the first one to be arrested. IS somebody protecting them?

承建公司的老板居然不用进监狱，太可耻了。最先逮捕的就应该是他们。是有人在护着他们吗？

Priyesh Sekar•39467• User Chouhan•Mumbai•4 hours ago

Owner of the company made bridge for 50-100 people at the same time.. it's a suspension bridge.. so of course it has very minute weight requirement. Local authorities who left too many people standing should be arrested.. but they won't.. because if they do it will be like no proper work was done by government... so as usual they will blame the contractor and its company and bury them.

这家公司的老板修的桥是只能同时容纳50-100人的桥。要搞清楚，这是一座吊桥啊。所以它的承载肯定很小啊。允许这么多人同时上桥的地方官员才是应该被逮捕的人。但他们不会被捕的. .因为如果他们被捕，就说明政府确实失职了…所以他们只会一如既往地指责承建商及其公司，让他们抵罪。

Jit• Priyesh Sekar•Muzz•3 hours ago

@Priyush, as a structural engineer with more than three decades of structural design experience, I can suggest you that you are fundamentally wrong regarding the design of the bridge for 50-100 people. Do not try to deflect the issue. Let the findings of an independent enquiry come out if that happens ever.

@Priyush，作为一名拥有30多年结构设计经验的结构工程师，我要跟你说，你所谓的这座桥的承载设计只有50-100人的说法，从根本上就是错的。不要试图转移话题。就等独立调查的结果吧。

DevN•374• Wasim Wani•pune•5 hours ago

Its a shame when people make fun of tragic events. A 143 years old bridge with a design capacity to carry not more than 150 people, is made to carry 450 people and then expected not to fail. And then there are people who are seeing this as Gujju issue, or BJP issue or Modi issue ? Rest assured Gujarat and its govt will do everything that is needed to be done post this tragedy.

人们拿这种悲剧开玩笑，简直就是一种耻辱。一座有着143年历史的吊桥，设计承载能力不超过150人，硬生生挤上了450人，还指望桥不会塌。还有人觉得这是古吉拉特邦的问题，或者人民党的问题，或者莫迪的问题？请放心，在这场悲剧发生后，古吉拉特邦及其政府会尽一切努力。

Mujeer Khan•25933•2 hours ago

Security guards, cashier and low level company officials are arrested in this case!!!!

居然逮捕了保安、售票员和公司普通职员！！！

Bhartiya Bharat India•4 hours ago

To save modi and his election they will create different narratives and arrest poor ticket checker etc.

what a joke the media and gvt have become

为了挽救莫迪和他的选举，他们还会编造不同的说辞，逮捕可怜的检票员。

媒体和政府就是个笑话。

Reddy•23264• Reddy•5 hours ago

Simply it neans BJP GOVERNMENT/SYSTEM IN GUJARAT WAS SLEEG, CITIZENS MUST STOP PAYING TAXES. all signs of country going into a failed country.

简单地说，古吉拉特邦的人民党政府/制度一直在沉睡，公民必须停止纳税。所有迹象都表明这个国家正在慢慢走向失败。

vinay singh•2773•4 hours ago

supper powerrrr....what a joke...zero infrastructure..zero professionalism...zero ethics...just see the roads...

超级大国，简直是天大的笑话。没有基础设施，没有专业精神，没有道德准则，看看破败不堪的路面就知道了。

Reddy•23264• vinay singh•3 hours ago

Even in 1887 when the bridge was built there was a rule only 15 people allowed. What a SHAME INDIA IS A FAILED LAWLESS COUNTRY.

1887年大桥建成时，也只允许15人同时上桥。印度就是一个目无法纪的国家，太丢脸了。

eu•24171• Tapan Kumar•5 hours ago

why fear god? where was he when this tragedy happened?

为什么要敬畏神明？这场悲剧发生时，他在哪儿呢？

Rits Shil•38667•1 hour ago

If 400 people are allowed on a structure meant for 150 people obviously the structure will give up. Some unruly crowds who shook the bridge are equally to be blamed. The ticket seller and Security around the bridge are the primary people to be blamed. Why did they allow such number of crowds to be in the bridge at a time? What people except Modi will come and gaurd the bridge? Some people just use this forum just to blame anyone at the slightest opportunity without applying any logic.

本来只能承载150人的建筑结构，硬是挤上了400人，这个建筑结构肯定会塌的。

有些不守规矩的人摇晃吊桥，应该受到严厉谴责。售票员和保安是主要的罪魁祸首。

为什么他们让这么多人同时上桥？除了莫迪，还有谁会来守卫这座桥？

有些人只是在利用这个论坛，就算没有说得通的逻辑，也要抓住一切机会抨击别人。

Atish Basak•9237• Rits Shil•58 mins ago

Absolutely. Its the overload ONLY which caused this mishap and nothing else. So, its a rot in the civic system to blame and obviously grave public indiscipline.

没错。导致这次事故的就是过载，没有其他原因。所以，这是公民制度的败坏，也是严重的公共违纪行为。

eu•24171•5 hours ago

corrupt officials alongwith irresponsible people who were deliberately swaying the bridge to show off had it coming

印度腐 败官员和不负责任的人故意摇晃大桥炫耀，这才导致了事故。

Not God•7945•Kanpur•3 hours ago

Go check China's glass bridges. thousands of people walk on them everyday and they are at least 5-6 hundred feet high. Completely made with glass.

去看看中国的玻璃栈桥。每天都有成千上万的人在上面行走，这些桥至少有5-600英尺高。完全由玻璃制成。很结实！

Upnorth•11233• Upnorth•USA•1 hour ago

No bridge can start operating without government clearance. If anyone should be arrested, it should be the corrupt PWD department Engineers.

没有印度政府许可，任何桥梁都不能对公众开放。如果要逮捕谁，那肯定是腐败的公共设施工程师。

Sheik Mohamed•18991• Sheik Mohamed•Delhi•1 hour ago

Why pick and choose policy in arresting? Why top management authorities were left out from prosecution? How and why they got immunity and given by whom and under whose instructions?

逮捕责任人时怎么还要挑挑拣拣呢？为什么董事可以逍遥法外？他们是如何获得豁免的，为什么获得豁免了？是谁批注的呢，在谁的示意下呢？

Donald Moss•23685• Donald Moss•2 hours ago

FORGET POLITICS! The reason it collapsed is too many people on the bridge!! ....However ,according to some,it has to be the fault of Modi only as it happened in Gujarat!!

别再批评印度政治了！吊桥倒塌的原因是桥上游人太多了！！但有些人会说，这就是莫迪的错，因为事故发生在古吉拉特邦！！

Rationalist•23795• Donald Moss•1 hour ago

exactly, well if same had happened in non bjp ruling state, bashtrad janata party would have blamed the ruling govt. simple, its turn of bashtrad janata party to feel the heat

没错，如果在人民党执政邦以外的地方发生同样的事，人民党也会指责执政党派的。

Anno•31362• Donald Moss•1 hour ago

How can we forget politics? Here everything is linked to politics. Rational clear thinking is not allowed.

我们怎么能抛开政治不谈？在印度，什么都跟政治绑定在一起。民众是不能有理性清晰的思考的。

Sheik Mohamed•18991• Sheik Mohamed•Delhi•1 hour ago

Who is accountable for loss of precious lives of human? Why CM of Gujarat should not be sacked/asked to submit resignation owning moral responsibility for this tragedy?

谁来对这些宝贵的生命负责？为什么古吉拉特邦首席部长不用被免职，不用为这场悲剧承担道德责任而辞职？

Ramesh Khosla•41032•1 hour ago

it's a clear case of criminal negligence from top to bottom...no concern for human lives lost

很明显，这是一起自上而下的过失犯罪案。这些人丝毫不关心人命。

Shyam Iyer•5489•Ahmedabad, India•5 hours ago

Blaming Oreva is unwarranted. It's open fact that people were behaving irresponsibly. They were jum, pulling ropes and inviting death. Video evidence proves it. Ticket sellers yes, they should have controlled the crowd as they knew the capacity of bridge. Contractor was not at all responsible.

对Oreva公司的指控是没有根据的。事实很明显，桥上部分游人作出了不负责任的举动。他们在桥上蹦跳，拉扯吊索，自寻死路。视频证据证明了这一点。没错，售票员应该控制人流数量，因为他们知道这座桥的承载量。承建商并没有责任。

Kricket•875•6 hours ago

Exposed power lines, uncovered storm water drains, over speeding, over loading, unlicensed drivers, building collapse, these are day to day happenings in any part on India.

裸露的电线、裸露的排水沟、超速、超载、无证驾驶、建筑物倒塌，这些都是印度各地天天都在发生的事情。

Not God•7945•Kanpur•8 hours ago

Now the blame game starts. Some shameless Modi bhakt are blaming everyone else except the Ministers who hired contactors. Who hired inspector. They should be behind bars.

现在又开始玩推卸责任的游戏了。一些不要脸的莫迪帮指责除了雇用了承建商和售票员的部长外的所有人。他们应该被丢进监狱。

Udit Saraf•278• Not God•Delhi•6 hours ago

It's very clear that govt is involved and took bribes to award the contract.

Ministers who toon bribe should be arrested. Those involved could be even cm and pm. Cbi should start questioning them.

很明显，印度政府无法置身事外，印度政府收受了贿赂，签订了合同。

收受贿赂的印度部长应该被逮捕。印度首席部长和总理可能都难逃其咎，应该审问一下他们。