Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited the site of a bridge collapse that killed at least 135 people.
The cables suspending the 233-metre bridge over the Machchhu river in Morbi district in western Gujarat state snapped on Sunday.
Mr Modi viewed the continuing search and rescue operations and also met the injured at a government-run hospital.
The prime minister is on a three-day tour in the election-bound state. On Monday, he tore up his campaign agenda and announced his visit to Morbi.
“Went to Morbi, which witnessed the horrific bridge mishap. Met the bereaved families and extended condolences. I visited the site of the tragedy and went to the hospital where the injured are recovering. Also met those involved in rescue ops and chaired a review meeting,” Mr Modi tweeted.
Pictures shown on television showed him taking stock of the situation near the accident site, talking to rescuers and meeting the injured. He also met senior police officers.
Dhirubhai Pitroda, a 78-year-old retired teacher, said he was pleased with Mr Modi’s visit and was confident justice would be done.
Mr Pitroda's nephew Prashant Makwala, 35, and Makwala's wife Sonal, 33, died in the incident.
“The couple drowned. It is a human error, the fault of the ticket-seller. The higher authorities should have trained them and informed them about the bridge’s capacity,” Mr Pitroda told The National.
“I have faith in Modi. I know he will take all the details and assure us justice. That is his quality,” Mr Pitroda said and added that Makwala’s parents were given two cheques of 400,000 rupees ($4,800) each as compensation by local authorities.
Mr Modi’s visit drew criticism from opposition parties after television reports showed decorators at work in a hospital before he arrived.
Hundreds of sanitation workers were sweeping the city and staff at the accident site were seen removing litter before the prime minister's visit.
The main opposition Indian National Congress said the visit was a “photo op” for Mr Modi.
Election dates have not been set but people may be asked to go to the polls in December.
“They have no shame … so many people have died, and they are busy in event management,” the party said in a tweet.
The Victorian-era bridge had been closed for renovations for six months but was reopened on October 26.
While the capacity of the bridge was reported to be about 150 people, more than 500 tickets were sold, mostly to women and children who had gathered to perform rituals for the Hindu festival of Chhath puja and celebrate the Gujarati new year.
Early inspections found that the bridge cables were not replaced during the renovation. They had snapped under pressure.
Police said everyone was accounted for but several agencies were still searching.
In the capital, Delhi, the country's highest court on Tuesday agreed to hear a petition seeking a judicial investigation into the incident.
The Gujarat government has formed a five-member committee, but the petitioner has asked for a commission under the supervision of a retired supreme court judge.
The state police on late Monday arrested nine people including the managers of Gujarat-based Oreva Group, which had undertaken the renovation work, the ticket sellers at the bridge and security guards who failed to control the crowd.
Oreva Group specialises in wall clocks and electric bikes. It has no experience in infrastructure development.
It was awarded a 15-year contract to repair, maintain and manage the bridge, known as “Jhoolta Pul” or hanging bridge, in 2020.
The renovation started seven months ago. The company was bound by its contract to keep the bridge shut for at least eight to 12 months for maintenance and repairs but opened it early.
The group had also not secured permission to reopen the bridge nor a test certificate for the structure from the municipality.
In Ahmedabad, Gujarat authorities limited the number of visitors to a 300-metre-long foot bridge that was opened by Mr Modi in August.
In Dwarka, a temple town in Gujarat, a hanging bridge was closed.
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Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
