Nine arrested after bridge collapse in India kills 134

Rescue efforts are still ongoing after a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension footbridge collapsed in Western Gujarat, India. So far, 134 people have died and at least 177 have been pulled from the river. Officials are unsure how many people were on the bridge when it collapsed, but a Hindu festival was taking place and put many more people than normal on the bridge. Police have formed an investigative team. Those arrested include managers of the Oreva Group, which owns the contract for the bridge’s maintenance.

With what are the contractors being charged? Gujarat authorities opened a case against Oreva for culpable homicide, attempted homicide, and other violations. The government awarded Oreva the bridge’s 15-year contract in March. The group shut down the bridge that same month for repairs and reopened it on the first day of the Hindu festival season. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government will compensate the families of the dead. 

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Dunn’s report in Schooled on Indian students rushing to U.S. schools.