Rescue continues overnight after bridge collapse kills over 60 in India's Gujarat

NEW DELHI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Relief and rescue work at Morbi district in India's western state of Gujarat, where a cable bridge collapsed on Sunday evening claiming over 60 lives, will continue throughout the night, a state government official told Xinhua over phone.

According to media reports, nearly 400 people were over the cable bridge at the time of its collapse. Most of the dead were children, women and the elderly.

After it collapsed, the bridge fell into the Machchhu river, as people were seen clinging to the broken bridge to save their lives. Many others were seen struggling to save themselves from drowning into the river.

"The death toll has risen to 68, and nearly 50 people are still missing," said a local media report.

Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army have been dispatched to hasten the rescue work at the site of the mishap.

Besides, teams of Gujarat's state disaster response force from nearby districts are being rushed to Morbi to assist in the rescue work.

According to a report by ANI news agency, an Indian Air Force plane with an NDRF team has taken off for relief operations. Another aircraft to be sent in an hour. Helicopters were put on stand-by for rescue operations in Jamnagar district and other nearby locations.

The collapsed cable bridge was said to be nearly 100 years old. "The bridge was reopened to the public just four days back following renovation work," said a report by the Tribune newspaper.