PM Modi visits Morbi, meets patients at local hospital

New Delhi, Nov 1: With a "pain-riddled heart", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited Morbi in Gujarat after the cable suspension bridge claimed the lives of at least 141 people on Sunday. The prime minister met the victims of Morbi tragedy at Civil Hospital.

On Monday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat. He has reportedly asked authorities to extend all possible help to those affected by the tragedy. At the meeting, which took place at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar, the PM, who is touring poll-bound Gujarat, was briefed on the relief and rescue operations at the accident site, located around 300 km from the state capital, they said.

At least 141 people, including women and children, were killed and over 100 are receiving treatment for their injuries sustained after a cable suspension bridge in Morbi town collapsed on Sunday, plunging people into the Machchhu River.

The PM has emphasized on ensuring that those affected by the disaster get all possible assistance, the officials told PTI. "Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation in Morbi at the Raj Bhavan, Gandhinagar," an official release said.

The Prime Minister was briefed on the relief and rescue operations launched at the accident site and all aspects related to the tragedy were discussed, the release said. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi, Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar and Gujarat DGP Ashish Bhatia along with other top officials.

Speaking at an event, the Prime Minister said, "I am in Ekta Nagar but my mind is with the victims of Morbi. Rarely in my life, would I have experienced such pain. On one hand, there is a pain-riddled heart and on the other hand, there is the path to duty."

Nine persons including officials of Oreva, the company that renovated the bridge, ticket sellers and security men have been arrested for the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, state-wide mourning in Gujarat will take place on November 2, for the people who died in the Morbi tragedy, tweeted Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.