Morbi bridge tragedy: SIT indicts Oreva group for serious lapses
The Hindu
SIT indicts Oreva Group for "serious operational & technical lapses" in Morbi bridge tragedy which killed 135. Report found design faults, lack of technical expertise & failure to consult experts & municipality. 10 people arrested, including Oreva MD and two managers.
Almost a year after the bridge tragedy in Morbi in which over 135 people were killed when a colonial era hanging bridge collapsed, a special investigation team (SIT) of the Gujarat Government has indicted the Oreva Group for “serious operational and technical lapses”.
The report was submitted before the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday.
A local industrial group Oreva was given the contract to repair and renovate the bridge, a tourist attraction, and operate it. They were also responsible for maintenance.
The lackadaisical approach of the Oreva management resulted in “one of the most severe and tragic human calamities” which cannot be countenanced, the SIT said.
The SIT of senior government officials was constituted by the state government after the tragedy to ascertain the facts and circumstances that led to the tragedy.
“For this, prima facie, the whole management of the company, including its managing director and two managers appear to be responsible,” the probe team stated in its report.
The British-era suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi collapsed on October 30 last year, killing over 135 people and injuring 56 others.
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