A colonial-era pedestrian bridge packed with revelers has collapsed into the river in the western Indian state of Gujarat, killing at least 132 people and injuring many others, police say.
Authorities said nearly 500 people were celebrating the last day of the Diwali festival on and around the nearly 150-year-old suspension bridge in Morbi when supporting cables snapped.
CCTV footage showed the structure swaying with a few people apparently deliberately rocking it before it suddenly gave way.
The walkway and one fence crashed into the river, leaving the other side dangling in mid-air and hundreds of people in the water.
The bridge was “jam-packed; the cables snapped and the bridge came down in a split second,” an eyewitness told local media, adding, “people fell on each other and into the river.”
News reports showed footage of people clinging onto the twisted remains of the bridge or trying to swim to safety in the dark.
The bridge over the Machchhu river, a popular tourist spot, had only reopened several days earlier for the local Gujarati New Year holiday after months of repairs.
BBC