Morbi Bridge Updates: 9 Arrested For Endangering Lives Of People & Oreva Group Under Scrutiny For Negligence

The Morbi Bridge Collapse on October 30 that claimed the lives of over 140 people is undergoing investigations by a five-member high-level panel. As the rescue missions are still underway, the Gujarat police filed a First Investigation Report on the grounds of 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder'. On October 31, the police reportedly arrested nine people responsible for the bridge collapse, and the contract company is under further investigation.

More Arrests To Be Expected

The police arrested nine people in regard to the suspension bridge collapse in Morbi, Gujarat. All those suspected are associated with the Gujarat-based electrical appliances manufacturer, Oreva group. They had performed maintenance on the 230-metre-long bridge and allegedly reopened it for the public without any fitness certificate.

Senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav told media houses that the nine arrested include two managers, two ticket clerks, two contractors and three security guards. They have been booked under IPC sections 114 (abetment) and 304 and 308 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

The cables of the colonial-era bridge snapped with hundreds of people on it during the Chhath Puja Celebrations on October 30. The bridge had reopened just a few weeks back after the maintenance and repair conducted by Oreva, a firm known for making wall clocks, e-bikes and electronic gadgets. They were awarded the contract to repair the bridge for a period of 15 years, and the incident pointed to 'gross negligence and carelessness' from their end.

A report by the Indian Express stated that since the incident, rescue personnel from multiple departments have actively been scouring the river for missing persons and looking out to rescue more people who might be trapped under the ruins.

About Oreva Group

The Oreva Group has been involved in the bridge project since 2008 and was responsible for the management of the bridge, including operations and maintenance, security, ticketing, cleaning and staff deployment.

The recent repair works took about six months, after which the Oreva group reopened the bridge on October 26. Assuring its stability for the next 15 years, Oreva Group's owner Jaysukh Patel had earlier stated in a press conference that a generous amount of ₹2 crores had gone into the repair works of the bridge.

According to a report by the Times Of India, Patel had also claimed that "all technical aspects of the hanging bridge were kept in mind and a specialist company from Dhrangadhra had been roped in".

However, the chief officer of Morbi municipality, Sandipsinh Zala, has reported that the municipal corporation did not receive any form of renovation details or fitness certificate request from the Oreva group. Furthermore, questions are being raised about the negligence of district officials who permitted the reopening of the bridge without adequate certificates.

In light of the recent events, the Morbi-based Oreva group is under scrutiny, and people are enquiring about the grounds upon which they were awarded the contract by the Morbi Municipality. The company specialises in CFL bulbs, wall clocks and e-bikes, and it remains unknown how they managed to secure a contract to maintain a historic bridge.

Also Read: Morbi Bridge Collapse: More Than 130 Dead As Bridge Collapses During Chhath Puja Celebrations, Rescue Missions Underway