Morbi bridge collapse: Owners of contracting company 'missing'
The owners of the Oreva company blamed for poor renovation work of the 140-year-old bridge that collapsed in Gujarat's Morbi, killing 135 people, remain missing even three days after the incident, NDTV reported. Police had so far arrested two managers of the Oreva Group and two sub-contractors, it said. Fiver other people—including security guards and ticket booking clerks—were sent to judicial custody.
Why does this story matter?
The cable suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Morbi collapsed on Sunday evening when 400 people were standing on it. Notably, the bridge was reopened five days before the collapse after being closed for six months for renovation. The bridge owned by the Morbi municipality was contracted to Oreva Group, a clock and e-bike manufacturer, for 15-year maintenance and operation.
'Oreva MD missing since collapse'
According to reports, Oreva hired a little-known contractor to complete the work. Locals told NDTV that Oreva's managing director Jaysukhbhai Patel has not been seen since the tragedy, despite having publicly stated that the renovated bridge will last for at least eight years. Patel was last seen on October 26 at the bridge's reopening. Notably, he had signed a contract with the municipal corporation.
'Watchmaker company received contract without tendering process'
In March, the watchmaker Oreva won a 15-year contract to maintain the bridge, and it reopened seven months ahead of schedule. Oreva allegedly received the contract without going through a tendering process from the Morbi municipal body.
Opposition questions police FIR
Contractors was ineligible to repair the bridge: Prosecution
On Tuesday, the prosecution testified in court that the contractors who worked on the bridge repairs were not qualified for the job. "Despite that, these contractors were given repair work of the bridge in 2007 and then in 2022," said the prosecutor. Meanwhile, amid the growing public outrage, a district lawyer's body in Morbi refused to represent any of the accused.
What did the forensic report say?
Reports said the bridge's floor was replaced, but its 150-year-old cables were not. According to a forensic report cited by the prosecution, the cables could not withstand the weight of the new flooring and snapped. The four-layered aluminum sheets used in the flooring had increased the weight of the bridge, and the cables could no longer support it.
Defense lawyer calls incident 'act of God'
Meanwhile, a lawyer defending an accused in the bridge collapse case had argued in the court that it was an "act of God" and termed the arrest of the accused not right, said former president of the Morbi Bar Association Dilip. "The accused framed the mishap as an 'act of god', but FIR says it's a 'criminal negligence,' case," ANI quoted Dilip as saying.
