A day after at least 141 people died following the collapse of a British-era bridge in Gujarat's Morbi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said rescue and relief operations have been going on since yesterday and the Centre is extending all help to the state.
PM Modi said while he was pained, but also has to follow the path of duty.
"I am in Ekta Nagar, but my mind is with the victims of Morbi. Rarely, in my life, would I have experienced such pain. On one hand, there is a pain-riddled heart and on the other hand, there is the path to duty," he said while addressing the people at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Kevadia where he paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary.
"I express my condolences to families of those who lost their lives in the accident. In this hour of grief, the government is with the bereaved families in every manner," he added.
The PM said a committee has also been set up to probe the accident.
Appealing to the people to be united during this tragic time, he said we need to take inspiration from Sardar Patel, who carried his work despite facing challenges from all quarters.
The PM also assured that authorities are on alert even in the hospital where the injured are under treatment. "Priority is being given to ensure that people face minimum problems," he said.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary is observed as the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day.
Around 500 people, including women and children, were on the suspension bridge when the cables supporting it snapped, sending people crashing into the river below. Many were performing Chhath puja rituals on the 150-year-old bridge, located 300 km from Ahmedabad.
The bridge over Machchhu river had been shut for seven months for repairs. It was reopened to the public on October 26, the Gujarati New Year. The renovator of the century-old bridge had not taken a safety certificate before reopening it, local municipal body's chief Sandipsinh Zala told NDTV.
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