But his parents, Hardik and Miral Faldu are dead. They were among at least 141 people who died when the Morbi Bridge – a 143-year-old suspension bridge recently renovated in the western Indian state of Gujarat – collapsed on Sunday. The Faldu family, along with six of their friends and relatives, were visiting the recently reopened bridge. Three members of the group died, while the rest were rescued. Jiyansh survived with minor injuries. Habibul’s family goes to Gujarat from West Bengal, in eastern India. They sent their 18-year-old son to Morbi to work. He lived there with his uncle, Sheikhbhai. Habibul went alone to see the bridge, the greatest attraction in Morbi, but never returned. “I don’t know how to deal with his parents,” Sheikhbhai told Al Jazeera. “Habibul had such dreams. Everything is broken.” Indian television network NDTV reported that 141 people were killed and 177 people were rescued. The funeral pyres continued to burn on Monday night. The usually bustling city of more than 268,000 – which is known for its ceramics, watchmaking and ancillary car industries – has become an eerie place where grieving people gather at the bridge, hospital, crematoriums and cemeteries. At Morbi Civil Hospital, where family members were trying to locate loved ones and doctors were busy tending to the rescued, there was an overwhelming sense of helplessness. “We don’t care who is responsible. We don’t care how much money they gave us,” said a visibly upset man at the hospital, of the compensation offered. “Can they give back my wife and my two daughters?” He also had not been able to locate his two nieces, he added. Patel Bhai said eight members of his family had gone to see the bridge. He had found five bodies and hoped to find the remaining three people alive. Ritaben, who was visiting her mother from the Gujarat city of Rajkot, recalled the carnival atmosphere on that fateful Sunday. She was feeling lazy, she said, and didn’t dare the crowds to buy a ticket for the bridge as she carried her 10-month-old. The bridge collapsed before her eyes. “It was like a movie scene. I blinked but by then it was all over. All it took was 30 seconds. I had seen happy faces taking selfies,” he said. “The next image was of people jumping… and screaming. I was absolutely terrified.”
“Politics has taken over”
The 1.25 meter wide and 233 meter (764 ft) long pedestrian suspension bridge was opened in 1879 under British colonial rule. The popular tourist site closed in March for renovations. The Oreva Group, a local electrical manufacturer with no previous experience in bridge construction or renovation, was commissioned to carry out the work. In a statement on national television, Shraddha Rajput, a spokesperson for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), expressed regret over the deaths but said the Gujarat state government had swung into action. “Whatever happened is very unfortunate and sad. Action will be taken against anyone responsible. No one will be spared,” he stressed. A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted and nine people were arrested on Monday in connection with the tragedy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose home state is Gujarat, is campaigning there ahead of the state elections. He continued with his scheduled events but held a meeting on Monday evening to review the rescue and relief work in Morbi with senior government officials. He is expected to visit Morbi later on Tuesday. The government has also declared a statewide mourning day set for November 2. There is growing anger as some accuse Oreva of breaching safety practices and authorities of failing to properly investigate the disaster. Local media reported that the company reopened the bridge to the public without receiving a “certificate of suitability”. “It should be investigated why the bridge was opened to the public in such a hasty manner. Was it because of the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections?’ Manish Doshi of the opposition Congress Party told Al Jazeera. Oreva chairman Jaysukh Odhavji Patel has not been questioned, nor have any of the 42 Morbi municipal councillors, all BJP members or government officials responsible for awarding the contract, according to police sources. “What is shocking is that no action is being taken against any BJP functionary involved in this case,” Doshi said. Oreva, in a statement, expressed regret over the bridge collapse and the deaths. A senior police official, Inspector General Ashok Yadav, told Al Jazeera that the nine arrested were employees of Oreva. “Two are directors of the Oreva company, two ticket clerks along with two contractors and three security guards for negligence.” Officials estimate that about 500 people had gathered on the bridge to enjoy the last day of the Hindu festival of Diwali, but that it was only designed for 100 to 150 people at a time. “Morby is ruined. We are all still struggling to accept the reality,” said Hasmukhbhai, a resident of Morbi. “Instead of compassion, sympathy, it’s all about politics now over tragedy.”
