Gujarat bridge collapse: Video captures moment horrific tragedy struck

Morbi collapse: Over 130 lives have been lost in one of the worst disasters of the recent times.

More than 130 people have died in tragedy-struck Morbi district of Gujarat where the collapse of a suspension bridge captured the attention of not just people in India but other parts of the world too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday - who is in his home state - said that the central government is leaving no stones unturned to offer help to the Bhupendra Patel government as rescue operations continue. Multiple accounts of eyewitnesses and videos have emerged that have summed up the horror of one of the worst bridge accidents in recent times in the country.

Rescuers in boats work at the site of a suspension bridge collapse in Morbi town in the western state of Gujarat, India, (via REUTERS)

One such video shows some men standing on what was called the “hanging bridge”. Some men were seen swinging along as the bridge moved. Within moments, it collapsed and people fell in the Machchhu River.

Another video - which was shared by news agency ANI - showed people swimming after the accident in a bid to survive and holding on to the cables.

The bridge was under repair before it reopened last week. Within five days, however, the accident happened. A high-level probe has been initiated into the incident, the state government has said.

More than 200 personnel were deployed overnight as the teams of the NDRF, Army and Navy carried out rescue operations. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday night also visited the site of the accident and held a review meeting. Patel also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after the incident, and the PM called for “urgent mobilisation” of rescue and relief teams.