Over the weekend, at minimum, 120 people have been killed in India after the collapse of a bridge threw hundreds of people down into the rapid river.
#UPDATE "We have recovered 120 bodies so far. The toll is likely going to increase as the search operation continues," said P. Dekavadiya, head of police in the city of Morbi, where the incident occurred on Sunday.
The death toll from the collapse had previously stood at 75.
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 31, 2022
This horrible event occurred in the western Indian state of Gujarat, more specifically in the town of Morbi.
The massive 750-foot bridge was originally built back in the middle of the 19th century while the area was still under British control and had just recently been opened back up in the wake of months of work seeking to renovate the historic structure.
#Breaking: गुजरात के मोरबी में केबल पुल टूटा, करीब 400 लोग नदी में गिरे, कई के डूबने की आशंका#Gujarat #Morbi pic.twitter.com/xMiIZFl0j5
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) October 30, 2022
Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, stepped up to speak to the Chief Minister of Gujaratk, Bhupendra Patel, “and other officials regarding the mishap in Morbi,” explained the office of the prime minister in a release. “He has sought urgent mobilisation of teams for rescue ops. He has asked that the situation be closely and continuously monitored, and extend all possible help to those affected.”
It was announced by Modi that families of the various victims will be issued financial compensation from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) due to the incident, explained Modi’s office via a different release.
“2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives in the mishap in Morbi,” stated Modi. “The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.”
The incident comes after a massive Halloween celebration from Saturday evening in Seoul, South Korea, went south quite rapidly after over 150+ people were effectively crushed to death and many dozen more were very seriously injured.
It was reported by The New York Times that roughly 100,000 individuals ended up attending the event which led to the area’s very narrow streets being severely clogged by groups of people who could not even move.
There was such a large number of people present in the incident that emergency workers reportedly struggled to get to the victims and then further struggled to transport them from the area to local hospitals.
A report from The Washington Post that the U.S. military was required to step in and assist with the incident and was assisting local groups with crowd control.
The Fire Department for Yonsan-gu claimed that there was no actual gas leak or fire in the area as they looked further into their investigation that resulted in the mass casualty event.
The leader of the fire department, Choi Seong-Beom, explained to reporters that “many casualties were incurred as a crowd of people fell over during Halloween parties.”
This event was the first major Halloween party in the nation’s capital since the coronavirus pandemic kicked off a few years back.
The Times stated that the area in which the incident took place, Itaewon, is known as an entertainment and shopping district that was first created in the Korean War to cater to American soldiers. Since then it has become “one of the most popular neighborhoods in Seoul” well known for its nightlife and restaurants.
