At least 60 people were killed after a suspension bridge collapsed over a river in Gujarat, a western region of India.
The pedestrian bridge, a well-known tourist destination for the area, caved in and hundreds of people were dropped into the Machchu River on Sunday evening, BBC News reported. The bridge was originally built during the 19th century while India was under British rule and had recently undergone repairs, according to multiple reports.
Per The Associated Press, local officials reported that it is unclear how many people were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, but that the death toll may grow.
Video footage captured dozens of people clinging to the bridge’s broken cables, according to Reuters, while some managed to climb up the remaining structure to the river banks or to swim to safety.
The office of India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, tweeted that there would be compensation payments made to the next of kin of those who died in the incident and to those who were injured. Modi also urged for speedy rescue efforts.
PM @narendramodi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives in the mishap in Morbi. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 30, 2022