A marigold garland hangs across a photo frame with the faces of 12 members of the Bodha family who died when a bridge collapsed beneath them during a family outing in Gujarat, eastern India.
“There have been a lot of deaths,” said grandfather Sundarji Bodha, from his home in the small town of Morbi that’s mourning 135 people who died in the October 30 tragedy.
“I cannot describe the pain and sadness it’s caused,” said Bodha, who lost five grandchildren, four daughters, and three sons-in law.
In the days since the tragedy, few answers have emerged as to why the colonial-era suspension bridge appeared to snap, spilling dozens of people into the Machchhu River.
Police investigating the case have suggested the company tasked with maintaining the bridge, Oreva, failed to conduct the appropriate repairs or tests to ensure the bridge was safe for pedestrians.
“They only did electric fittings and painting work,” P. A. Zala, deputy superintendent of Gujarat police, told CNN on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. “No fitness or capacity test was done by them.”
Oreva did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.
But theories about the cause of the disaster offer little comfort to the families of those who died.
“Children are everything,” said Prabhulal Bodha, wearing white to mark a day of mourning for his extended family.
“The children are not here and it is so painful. How will we bear this? We do not know.”
Source: CNN
