Rusty cables & loose bolts led to Morbi fall

Forensic Report Also Blames Overcrowding

Rajkot: Cables holding Morbi’s signature suspension bridge were rusty, anchors broken, bolts loose, and 3,165 tickets were issued to people to cross the structure across the Machchhu river on October 30, the day it collapsed and 135 lives were lost.

These critical facts form the bulk of the forensic report presented in court, pointing to six months of shoddy repairs before the bridge was reopened for the public on October 26—the Gujarati New Year’s Day. There were around 300 people on the 765ft-long bridge when the bolts unhinged and cables buckled and snapped.

The forensic report was submitted in a Morbi court that is hearing bail pleas of eight of nine people arrested and charges pressed against them after the disaster.