Gujarat bridge collapse: Supreme Court to hear PIL regarding Morbi tragedy, know what petition says

After the tragic collapse of the Morbi suspension bridge claimed over 130 lives in Gujarat, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court, urging for a judicial probe headed by a retired judge into the incident.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari has filed a PIL in the Supreme Court just a day after the Gujarat bridge collapse, which has requested the top court to appoint a Judicial Commission, which is headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge to probe the collapse of the suspension bridge.

Further, the PIL also mentions the formation of a committee by the state government to launch a probe into the deadly collapse of the Morbi bridge, which occurred on Sunday at around 6:30 pm in evening.

Presenting the plea in front of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit, the advocate said that he was seeking a judicial inquiry commission and pointed out that there were several old structures in many states. The apex court further agreed to hear the PIL in the Morbi bridge incident on November 14.

The plea said the incident showed the negligence and utter failure of the government authorities. It further added that in the past decade various incidents have taken place in the country due to mismanagement, the lapse in duty, and negligent maintenance activities.

The Morbi bridge collapsed on Sunday evening when over 450 people were on the bridge for Chhath Puja festivities. Harrowing visuals from the incident showed youths shaking and swinging the bridge, with it collapsing just a few seconds later.

The Morbi bridge in Gujarat was built during the British era and is over a century old. It had been shut down for renovation for seven months and reopened to the public just four days before the mishap. The renovation contract had been allotted to a private firm named Oreva, which has since come under fire.

(With inputs from agencies)

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