Nine people have been arrested in connection with the collapse of a suspension bridge in the western Indian state of Gujarat that killed at least 134 people on Sunday, police said.
All the suspects are linked to Oreva, a Gujarat-based electrical appliance manufacturer, which was carrying out maintenance on the 230-metre-long bridge in Morbi town, senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav told reporters on Monday. The bridge reopened just last week after repairs.
The nine include two managers, two ticket clerks, two contractors and three security guards, according to Yadav.
The suspects are being investigated for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, said Yadav, who added that a special investigation team is looking into the incident.
At least 134 people, including 30 children, died when the narrow bridge collapsed into the river on Sunday afternoon around 6:30 pm. local time, as locals in the riverside town joined Diwali celebrations.
About 200 people were estimated to be on the bridge at the time, according to Gujarat Home Minister Hars Sanghavi, who said a cable at one end appeared to have snapped.
Built more than a century ago, the bridge is just 1.25 meters (four feet) wide and hangs over the Machchhu River to form a gateway to Morbi, a town that still bears the architectural legacy of British rule.
Photos from the scene on Monday showed people gathering on the riverbank next to the twisted metal walkway, which hung at a sharp angle into the water.
Search efforts involving hundreds of personnel from state and national disaster relief teams and the Indian military are set to resume Tuesday, district official Visal Kanjaria told CNN.
As of Monday night, a total of 170 people had been rescued, according to Vishal Kanjaria, administrative officer for Morbi district. Some remain in hospital and others have returned home, although the exact extent of the damage is not yet known.
Speaking at a press conference early Monday, Sanghavi did not say how many people were missing, but videos on social media showed dozens in the water after the bridge collapsed.
Television footage showed people holding on to the cables and debris of the bridge as emergency teams tried to reach them, Reuters reported. Some climbed the damaged structure to reach the river banks, while others swam to safety.
The families of the victims will receive compensation from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, according to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking on Monday at a campaign event ahead of state elections in Gujarat, Modi said his “heart is full of love and is with the families of those who are suffering”.
“The state government has constituted a committee to investigate the incident. I assure the people of the country that nothing will be spared in the relief and rescue efforts,” Modi said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the state government would provide compensation of about $5,000 per family of the deceased and about $600 for the injured.
“My condolences to the families of the civilians who lost their lives in the tragedy,” he tweeted.
