Gujarat bridge disaster: What you need to know about the British era bridge

In a terrible incident that occurred in Morbi, Gujarat, on Sunday, more than 130 people lost their lives. The British-era bridge, which was on the river Machhu, collapsed while more than 400 people were standing on it and led to the unfolding of a huge disaster.

All about the bridge
The bridge which collapsed on the Machhu river, was built a long time ago by Britishers and was known for its unique structures like that of the Lakshman Jhula bridge, which is on the river Ganga in Uttarakhand. Both bridges have certain similarities, as they shake mildly upwards and downwards when people walk on them. This unique feature of the bridge was the main attraction for the visitors, which also helped it to become a tourist spot.


When the bridge collapsed on Sunday, around 400-500 people were on it. The bridge was overcrowded and the extra weight led to a big disaster. The bridge could not carry the weight of such a massive crowd and broke apart from the middle and washed away in the river's flow.

The bridge was quite old and also promoted as one of the popular tourist attractions in Gujarat. It was inaugurated on February 20th February 1879 and has received timely maintenance and repair work. It was closed shortly for repairs and was opened to the public only five days ago before the tragedy struck. It was due to the massive weight that the cable bridge tore apart and fell into the river. Due to the Diwali vacations, the number of tourists on the bridge also increased significantly.

Other features of the bridge
The British-built bridge was 1.25 metres wide and 230 metres long and connected the Palace in Darbargadh with the Engineering College of Lukhdhirji. It was also known as one of the finest pieces of engineering by the British empire.

FAQs on the same:

1. Where was the Morbi bridge?
   The bridge was in Gujarat.
2. How old was the Morbi bridge?
   The bridge was 143 years old