The death toll from the collapse of a pedestrian bridge over a river in Gujarat, western India, has risen to at least 132 as more stories emerge of the terrifying moment the structure gave way .

Local officials say about 400 people were on the suspension bridge over the Machchu River in the city of Morbi on Sunday and the atmosphere was festive. Families had come out on to the bridge to celebrate a post-Diwali religious ritual in which idols are immersed into the river.

The bridge is more than a century old and dates back to the British Raj, but it had just re-opened on 26 October after extensive repairs carried out over six months by a private company.

“There were a lot of young children among the dead,” one rescuer told NDTV news channel. “It was a Sunday evening so families had come out for a stroll because it’s a popular tourist spot.”

Staff at the nearby hospitals where the victims were taken told NDTV that many children died, with some couples losing more than one child.