In the midst of growing distress over the tragic event of a bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat, the video of the final heart-wrenching moments of the collapse has been surfacing on social media. The chilling visual shows the shaky bridge, which was packed with hundreds of people, getting drowned in the river under it in a fraction of a second, resulting in a massive death toll.  

The incident occurred on Sunday at around 6.30 pm and the death toll has been surging up. According to the latest reports, the death toll caused by the collapse has increased to 141 while it was 132 during the morning hours of Monday. As hundreds of people went missing, it has been feared that the death toll would increase further as the entire nation is watching the developments around the destruction of a 100-year-old bridge.

The video of the final moments is getting rampantly shared on social media and several people have expressed their outcry against the Gujarat government as the bridge was open to the public just four days ago without a safety certificate. It was under renovation for the past seven months and was reopened on October 26, during the occasion of the Gujarati New year. 

The heritage bridge over the Machchu river in Morbi was packed with tourists and local residents when the cable supporting it collapsed, which left hundreds to get drowned in the river. The people standing on the edges of both sides of the bridge were seen making desperate attempts to make it to the shore by clinging on to the remains of the bridge as an unprecedented event sent shockwaves across the nation. 

Most of the people on the bridge were performing Chhath Puja rituals and after the incident, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed three teams to Morbi on Sunday for the rescue operations. The British-era suspension bridge was reopened for the public just four days back, on October 26, after seven months of repair work carried out by a private firm. Chief Officer of Morbi Municipality, Sandeepsinh Zala said that the bridge was closed in March this year for renovation and it was reopened on October 26. 

In a shocking revelation, it has come to light that the bridge wasn't issued with a safety and fitness certificate after the renovation and it was abruptly reopened for the public without any prior checks. Zala said, "It was opened to the public after the completion of the renovation work. But the local municipality had not yet issued any fitness certificate (to reopen the bridge)." Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on Monday that a criminal case has been filed and a five-member committee is probing the collapse. 

Prime Minister Modi, who was in Gujarat at the time of the collapse, cited that he was pained by the tragedy. He said, "I have immense pain in my heart, and on the other hand, I have my path of duty to walk. I am in your midst because of duty but my mind is with the families of the victims. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The Gujarat government is with them. The state government has been carrying out rescue operations with its full strength." 

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel visited the site and took stock of the rescue operations. The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the family of the deceased. The Prime Minister is likely to visit Morbi on Monday. 

So Sad, it's horrible#Morbi #MorbiBridgeCollapse#Corruption pic.twitter.com/RSXZFqvdIN

— Yuvrajsinh Jadeja (@YAJadeja) October 31, 2022