Morbi bridge collapse: She clung to dad’s shoulder to safety and lived to tell a story

Seven-year-old Harshani saw both her parents get washed away, while Mahibul Sheikh lost his only child, 17-year-old Habibul.

Indian Youth Congress supporters take part in a candlelight march to pay tribute to the victims of Morbi bridge accident at Indian Youth Congress office, in New Delhi. (Photo | ANI)

AHMEDABAD: The bridge collapsed on Sunday. As did so much else families, future, dreams, hopes... For seven-year-old Harshani Chavda, it was her life that came crashing down. The little girl saw her parents get swept away in the Machchhu river as the suspension bridge gave way, taking the lives of 141 people who had gathered at the spot to enjoy a Sunday during the long Diwali holidays in the state.

Harshani had come with her parents, Ashokbhai and Bhavnaben, from Ahmedabad to visit Morbi. While the couple got washed away, Harshani was rescued. Speaking to this newspaper, Ashokbhai’s father said, “We got a call in the evening and immediately drove to Morbi. When we reached there, we saw that my son and his wife had died, while their daughter survived. She asked for her parents the entire night.”

Ashokbhai used to supply medicines to medical shops. He was on a trip to Kutch with his family, and decided to see the suspension bridge of Morbi. Her eyes full of tears, Ashokbhai’s mother said, “My son was my life. His little daughter says she was on the bridge sitting on her father’s shoulder. The next moment, he was gone. Our family was dependent on our son’s income. But now he has left.”

Harshani’s distraught grandmother added, “She is seven years old. How will she live? I am more than 70 years old. We don’t know till which age we can support her or bring her up. If something happens to me, who will raise her?”

Talking about the state of Harshani, she said, “Since last night, my granddaughter has been crying and asking about when her father will come back, and where is her mother. I don’t have an answer.”

ALSO READ | Ill-fated bridge which collapsed into Machchhu river was built by the Maharaja of Morbi

17-yr-old came from Bengal in search of job

Habibul Sheikh from Purba Bardhaman district in West Bengal came to Morbi in search of a job, but lost his life in the bridge collapse on Sunday. Sheikh, 17, came to Gujarat to work in a gold shop owned by his uncle. Since Sunday was a holiday, he had gone on a fun visit with his friends to the suspension bridge. His body was recovered at night. Habibul’s father, Mahibul Sheikh, told the media that he got the news of his son’s death late on Sunday. Mahibul is a daily labourer and after the Covid-19 pandemic, the family went through economic crisis. Habibul was the only child of his parents.

How the tragedy unfolded

A nearly 150-year-old suspension bridge over the Machchhu River in Gujarat’s Morbi collapsed on Sunday, killing over 141 people.

• 8 am to 6.30 pm: The timings of the Morbi suspension bridge on Machchhu River
• Festival time: As it was Diwali holidays, the number of people visiting the bridge had increased. On Sunday, there was a huge crowd
• Ticket price: Bridge tickets sold for Rs 12 for children and Rs 17 for adults
• Capacity of bridge: As per oficials, around 250 to 300 people could stand on the bridge at a time. At the time of accident, there were around 500.
• 6.17 pm: The collapse
• 6.45 pm: Fire brigade personnel, locals and authorities rushed to the spot
• 7.00 pm: Injured taken to Morbi Civil Hosp, bodies started arriving at the morgue
• 9:30 pm: Guj CM Bhupedrabhai Patel & HM Harsh Sanghavi rushed to the spot to assess the situation
• 11.30 pm: NDRF and other disaster response teams reach at the site and rescue operations intensify
• 1.30 am, Monday: Sanghavi announces death toll at 68
• Monday morning to 7:00 pm: CM and Sanghavi review relief and rescue work throughout the day
• 7.00 am: Home minister revises number of victims to 132.
• By evening, toll rises to 141 Deaths