MORBI, India: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit the site in western India where a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge collapsed into a river, sending hundreds plunging into the water and killing at least 134 in one of the South Asian country's worst accidents in years. The premier was expected to reach Morbi town in Gujarat state later on Tuesday. Sandeepsinh Zala, a Morbi official, told the Indian Express newspaper the company reopened the bridge without first obtaining a "fitness certificate." Modi was the top elected official of Gujarat for 12 years before becoming India's prime minister in 2014. A Gujarat state government election is expected in the coming months and opposition parties have demanded a thorough investigation of the accident.

Source: Manila Times November 01, 2022 18:36 UTC