Bridge collapse kills over 130 in India

Several hundred people were on the newly renovated suspension bridge in Gujarat at the time of incident

The death toll has grown to at least 132 people following the collapse of a newly renovated bridge in the Indian state of Gujarat, authorities said as rescue personnel recovered more bodies from the Machchhu river on Monday.

The tragedy occurred around 6:30pm local time on Sunday, when hundreds of people were on the strucure, according to Home Minister of Gujarat Harsh Sanghavi. The rescue operations continued overnight. Many people were admitted to hospitals in critical condition, but some had succumbed to their injuries after being rescued. 

“The death toll in the bridge collapse incident has gone up to 132,” a senior official told Reuters on Monday, expressing fear that the toll could rise even further.

The 230-meter bridge was built in the 19th century, during British rule. It reopened to the public this week, after a six-month renovation. It is believed the structure was unable to support the weight of the large number of people walking on it.