PM Modi visits Morbi bridge collapse site; speaks to survivors, officials
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited the Morbi bridge collapse site in Gujarat, met some of the injured persons and held a meeting with local police and district officials.
Officials briefed the prime minister about the rescue operations at the site where 135 people were killed on Sunday when a British-era suspension bridge on the Machchu river collapsed.
Before reaching the spot, the prime minister conducted an aerial survey of the location
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PM meets injured victims
Later he visited the hospital where those injured in the incident are undergoing treatment. He spent around 15 minutes in the hospital and spoke with at least six injured victims, officials said. Modi asked them about the treatment they received in the hospital, Gujarat health secretary Manoj Agarwal told reporters.
The collapsed bridge connected Darbargadh Palace and Swaminarayan Temple in Morbi town.
The PM arrived at Darbargadh Palace where he was briefed by officials about what might have gone wrong with the bridge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, visits the incident site in Morbi, Gujarat, while the search and rescue operation is underway in the Machchhu river.
Death toll in the incident stands at 135 so far. pic.twitter.com/JefTWaTiNL
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2022
Later he visited the office of the Morbi district Superintendent of Police and met local officials and relatives of victims.
He then left for Ahmedabad by helicopter after an hour-long visit to the tragedy-struck town.
The collapsed bridge connected Darbargadh Palace on one end and Swaminarayan temple on the other. The PM arrived at Darbargadh Palace where he was briefed by officials about what might have gone wrong with the bridge structure.
Video draws criticism
Before the prime minister’s reached Morbi, visuals of a Gujarat hospital being cleaned up in anticipation of his visit went viral on social media.
People injured in the bridge collapse are admitted to the hospital.
“We thank the BJP Gujarat Govt as they took great pains to clean up the hospital for PM Narendra Modi’s visit,” the TMC tweeted. “This hasty attempt to facelift the premises for the PM’s photo-ops has given the patients some momentary relief. We truly are living in a morbid tragedy!” it added.
Photos of the hospital circulating on the internet showed workers fixing ceilings, mending broken flooring and giving a fresh lick of paint to hospital walls. At two wards where 13 of the injured were admitted, workers were seen hastily changing bedsheets, a prominent news website said.
Sharing a video of the renovation work on Twitter on Monday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that the walls of the hospital were being hurriedly painted to create a perfect photo-op moment for the prime minister.
Also read: Morbi tragedy: Hospital gets makeover ahead of PM’s visit, draws flak
Congress says, no shame
“The civil hospital is being given a fresh coat of paint and shiny tiles are being fitted ahead of PM Modi’s visit tomorrow. It is being ensured that there is no dearth of pictures of PM Modi. They have no shame! So many people have died, and all they can think of is planning an event,” the Congress tweeted.
The Congress Seva Dal, the grassroots wing of the Congress also called the last-minute spruce-up a sign of “Doobta Gujarat.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Morbi tomorrow, colour work is being done at the civil hospital at night!!! Vaah! Modi Ji Vaah! Doobta Gujarat,” the organization tweeted.
