The bridge broke in two on Sunday night when families were out enjoying the evening air over the river. Many of those who were standing in the middle of the bridge when it collapsed plunged into the river and were drowned, while others at both ends of the bridge, closer to the banks, died from the impact they fell on the stones and boulders below. Indians have been dismayed to discover that the Gujarat government, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has awarded the contract to repair the 100-year-old suspension bridge to a local company called Oreva. Oreva manufactures clocks, watches and lighting. There is no indication that he has experience with bridge repairs or infrastructure. Nor is anything mentioned on her website. Opposition politician Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, claimed that “massive corruption” was responsible for the bridge’s collapse just four days after it was renovated. “Why was a watch company that had no experience building bridges allowed?” Kejriwal said during a press conference. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the site on Tuesday, a hoarding bearing Oreva’s name was covered with a tarpaulin. Politicians were livid about the accident, especially as Modi has taken to extolling his home state of Gujarat as a “development model” for the rest of India. Congress party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also alleged corruption, aptly asking if Oreva had any connection with the BJP. His other contention was that the government rushed to reopen because Gujarat will go to the polls for the state assembly in December and the reopening of the bridge, a well-known tourist attraction, could be something for the BJP to promote in its favour. As the controversy escalated, more details have emerged about India’s worst accident in years. Stories have emerged of a couple who lost both of their young sons, a tea vendor who rescued three children from muddy waters only to see them die in an ambulance, a toddler who survived but lost his parents and entire families perishing. Locals help organize the cremations and burials of the dead. In Indian tradition, last rites should be performed as soon as possible after the person’s death. Some of the dead are believed to be migrant workers from other states. Families who had loved ones working in Morbi are arriving from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to see if they are among the dead. Alongside the outrage, there is growing concern about a possible cover-up, prompted by the identities of the nine people arrested. Indian media reported that two of those arrested were directors of Oreva, although their seniority was not known. The rest were security guards and ticket sellers on the bridge. “The question is, who in the municipality decided to open the bridge without clearance? The poor ticket guy didn’t decide to sell tickets on his own, it was his boss. And who decided to allow any number of people on the bridge without knowing its load-bearing capacity?’ asked Congress leader Pawan Khera. After visiting the site, Modi went to meet some of the 100 or so people with injuries who are at the Morbi government hospital. Narendra Modi (centre) meets a survivor of the bridge collapse at a hospital in Morbi on Tuesday. Photo: PIB/AFP/Getty Images The hospital came in for sarcastic praise for the furious speed of its transformation in time for Modi’s visit. During the night, the walls got a new coat of paint, the worn sheets were replaced with new ones, the chipped tiles were repaired. A new water cooler also went into the hallway, although, as news channel NDTV scathingly reported, it had no water in it. A woman visiting a patient unrelated to the tragedy told NDTV she walked in to find a different-looking hospital on Tuesday. “Usually it’s dirty, but suddenly it looks nicer and cleaner. The toilets are clean. There is not even clean drinking water here. I always carry mine,” he said. The Congress party tweeted: “Painting has begun, shiny tiles are being laid. Made to ensure there is nothing wrong with the prime minister’s photos. They have no shame, so many people have died and they are busy managing events.” Search and rescue operations have continued but are likely to be suspended as rescuers do not expect to find any more bodies. Gujarat has declared Wednesday a day of mourning.
