Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation in Morbi at Raj Bhavan, Gandhinagar earlier today.
The PM was briefed on the rescue and relief operations that have been underway ever since the unfortunate mishap took place in Morbi. All aspects relating to the tragedy were discussed in the meeting.
The Prime Minister once again emphasised ensuring that those affected get all possible assistance.
The high-level meeting was attended by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Bhai Patel, Minister of State Home Harsh Sanghavi, the Chief Secretary and DGP of Gujarat, along with other top officials, including from the Home Department of the State and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority.
At least 140 people are feared dead as a suspension bridge on the Machchhu river in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed on Sunday. Reports from Morbi suggested that the bridge could not take the weight of the people standing on it.
PM Modi has also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of each of the deceased. He also announced ₹50,000 for the injured.
CM Patel also announced a compensation of ₹4 lakhs to the families of the deceased. He also announced ₹50,000 to the people who had suffered injuries.
Built by the erstwhile princely state of Morbi, the Jhulto Pul, as the bridge is locally called, was one of the major tourist attractions in Morbi, a town famous for its ceramic tiles industry.