Kolkata Flyover Collapse: 24 Dead, Five IVRCL Officials Detained
The rescue operation at the site of the collapsed flyover is in its final stage.
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- Five IVRCL officials have been detained by the police.
- PIL questioning maintenance and grade of materials used for construction filed in Calcutta High Court.
- Death toll at 24, 80 others injured.
- West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi directed the state to check the condition of all flyovers in Kolkata.
- FIR registered against IVRCL under section of 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
- Five member team of Kolkata Police reaches Hyderabad to question officials of IVRCL infrastructure company.
- Eight dead bodies recovered so far.
- Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to visit collapse site on Saturday.
HMO Meets Mamata Banerjee
Home Minister Rajnath Singh met Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee in the light of the collapse of Vivekanand flyover in North Kolkata.
Rajnath Singh has assured all possible help to bring the situation under control.
Candlelight Vigil
People from Kolkata hold a candlelight vigil to respect the victims of the Vivekanand flyover collapse.
The collapse has claimed close to 25 lives and wounded atleast 80 people.
Rahul Gandhi to Visit Collapse Site
Vice president of the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi will visit the collapse site of the Vivekanand flyover in North Kolkata on Saturday.
RSS Up For Help
Members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) reached the spot soon after the accident to help in the rescue operation that is underway at the collapse site of Vivekanand flyover in North Kolkata.
Forensic Team Collects Samples From the Collapse Site
A team of forensic experts visited the site of collapse of the Vivekanand flyover in Girirsh Park area of North Kolkata.
Trinamool Congress leader, Derek O’Brien said that three FIRs have been filed and anybody found guilty will not be spared.
Delay in Flyover Construction
A petition was filed in the Calcutta High Court regarding the delay in the construction of Vivekanada flyover.
Based on the petition the court sought an explanation from the government on the reasons for the delay. When the TMC-led West Bengal government filed a reply in 2015, which the court was not satisfied with.
Consequently, the HC ordered the government to complete the construction work as soon as possible.
The government promised to complete the construction work by February 2016 following which, the IVRCL company hastily restarted the construction work.
The portion of flyover which fell down was constructed around eight months ago.
However, according to sources, in January 2016, West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Bannerjee said that due to some constrains the construction company was going to be unable to complete the task by February.
While the original deadline for the completion of the construction work was set at 2011, the flyover had missed the deadline at least six times.
PIL Filed in Calcutta High Court
A PIL filed in Calcutta High Court seeks if grade of materials were maintained and checked. The PIL also seeks a committee be constituted for enquiry under observation of HC.
360 Degree View of the Site
A 360-degree image giving a all-round perspective from the site of the flyover collapse was posted by NDTV.
IVRCL Defends Itself
In an attempt to defend itself, the Legal Head Department of IVRCL said in a press conference:
When asked about their comment on the mishap being an ‘act of God’, the legal team tried to justify saying “it’s only an expression...it means that it is under nobody’s control.”
The legal team also said that responsibility cannot be pinned on any one individual in the case of an accident.
Five IVRCL Officials Detained
Five officials of the company that was building a flyover that collapsed on to vehicles and street vendors here have been detained.
Kolkata Police has registered a case against the Hyderabad-based construction firm IVRCL under sections 304, 308 and 407 of the IPC and sealed the local office of the company.
TMC and CPI(M) Blame Each Other For the Incident
In an interview with CNN IBN, CPI(M) leader and former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Urban Development and Town Planning, Ashok Bhattacharya said that the flyover project made very nominal progress since it got sanctioned in 2008.
He claimed that information on IVRCL being blacklisted appeared only after the project had already been sanctioned. While the construction was halted due to complaints from local, he passed the buck on to the TMC government which restarted the construction.
West Bengal CM, Mamata Bannerjee, on the other hand, blamed the CPI(M) for starting the construction work in the narrow, congested residential area in the first place.
Governor Directs Govt to Check Conditions of All Flyovers in Kolkata
West Bengal governor, Kesari Nath Tripathi, has sought a report from the West Bengal government on this incident. He also directed the TMC-led government to check the conditions of the other flyovers.
An FIR has been registered against IVRCL, the infrastructural company under section of 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The punishment may extend upto 10 years of imprisonment.
According to sources, only a Tata Sumo car remains trapped under the debris.
Death Toll Rises at 24
According to DIG of NDRF, S S Guleria, the death toll has risen to 24 from 23.
RSS Volunteers in Rescue Operations
RSS workers volunteer to assist in the rescue and relief operations in the site of the flyover mishap.
Kolkata Police Reaches Hyderabad to Question IVRCL Officials
A five-member team of Kolkata Police has reached Hyderabad to question officials of IVRCL infrastructure company.
Three FIRs have been registered against the IVRCL infrastructure company including at Jorasanko Police Station.
Three offices have been raided.
A six-member probe panel has been formed under West Bengal Chief Secretary. IVRCL has been blacklisted twice before this incident.
Slim Chances of Finding Anybody Alive Under the Debris: NDRF
Rescue operations at the site of the Vivekananda flyover mishap continued through the night into the morning. Eight bodies have been recovered so far. According to the NDRF, there is a slim possibility of finding any victim alive under the debris.
SS Guleria, DIG of NDRF said that as per the reports at the site of the accident, the death toll has been confirmed at 23.
He also said that the operation is in its final phase now. Cranes have been brought in to remove debris and recover dead bodies from under it.
Sources said that the debris can be cleared in 2-3 days time.
Lacunae in Design May Have Triggered the Collapse, Say Experts
Lack of proper planning, delays, lacunae in design and bad tendering may have triggered the collapse on Thursday of a 100-metre section of an under-construction flyover, leaving at least 24 dead and 80 injured, said engineering experts.
The long-delayed 2.5-km Vivekanda flyover under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was expected to tackle congestion in Burrabazar area – the location of one of the largest wholesale markets in Asia – up to the Howrah station, the gateway to the city.
Flyover Collapse an ‘Act of God’, Says IVRCL Chief
The Hyderabad-based company IVRCL described this tragedy as “an act of God”.
With elections in West Bengal just days away, politicians from different parties are flocking to the hugely congested Girish Park area.
The blame game has begun as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the tender for this flyover had been given in 2008, during the Left Front’s rule. The work should have been completed in 2010, but the contractors missed eight deadlines
23 Dead and 80 Injured in Kolkata Flyover Mishap
The tragedy on Thursday morning has claimed at least 23 lives and injured over 75 people.
Politicians across party expressed their condolences. Some even hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress government and demanded a probe.
The police sealed the city office of IVRCL Infrastructure – the implementing agency of Kolkata’s Vivekananda Road Flyover.
Rescue operations continued at night. Cranes were brought in to pull people out of the debris.
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