New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) Several Congress leaders attacked the BJP over the bridge collapse in Gujarat's Morbi which claimed at least 60 lives, with Randeep Surjewala terming it a "man-made tragedy" and held the state government directly responsible for it.

Senior party leader Digvijaya Singh asked if the incident was an "act of God or an act of fraud".

Also Read | Morbi Suspension Bridge Collapse: Death Toll Rises to 77, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Announces Compensation.

The nearly century-old suspension bridge on the Machchhu river collapsed around 6.30 pm owing to too many people standing on it following its reopening just four days ago after renovation.

According to eyewitnesses, there were several women and children on the hanging bridge when it snapped.

Also Read | Methamphetamine Tablets Worth More Than Rs 3 Crore Seized From Mizoram.

A private operator had carried out the repair work of the bridge for nearly six months before it was reopened to the public on the Gujarati New Year day celebrated on October 26.

Attacking the BJP over the incident, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Surjewala said the painful news of "countless lives lost" in the Morbi bridge accident has shaken the entire country.

"This is not an accident caused by nature, it is a man-made tragedy," he alleged in a series of tweets in Hindi.

The BJP government of Gujarat is guilty of this "heinous crime", Surjewala alleged, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel cannot shirk away from their responsibility by "putting a price of Rs 2 lakh on the lives of Gujarati brothers and sisters".

CM Patel and Morbi MLA and Minister Brijesh Merja will have to answer as to when this bridge was opened after repairs only on October 26, how did it collapse.

"Isn't this a straight criminal conspiracy? How did the BJP government allow the bridge to be opened for public use without a 'fitness certificate'," Surjewala asked.

Was this done in a hurry in a bid to garner votes before the model code of conduct comes into effect, he posed, adding "How was the work of repairing the bridge given to the company/trust? Do they have connections with the BJP?"

"Can an IAS investigate the criminal role of people holding powerful positions in the BJP government?" the Congress leader said.

He asked when will the Gujarat CM and the local minister take responsibility, and said "Gujarat will never forgive you".

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said it is sad that the bridge built by those who boast about a double-engine government has collapsed

Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV shared a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks when a bridge collapsed in West Bengal ahead of polls there in 2016 in which he said it was an indication from God as to what kind of government had been run.

Will the PM use the same language, he tweeted along with a video.

"Modi Ji, is the Morbi bridge accident an Act of God or an Act of Fraud?" Digvijaya Singh tweeted while quoting a 2016 news report.

Singh, who issued several tweets on the Morni bridge accident, was referring to a phrase that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reportedly used at a rally lampooning the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal after the Vivekananda Road flyover collapsed in Kolkata on March 31, 2016, killing many.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)