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Three dead and 27 have been reported injured after a portion of the arterial Majerhat flyover in South Kolkata collapsed on Tuesday, 4 September.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, announced a compensation of Rs five lakh to the families of people killed in the Majerhat flyover collapse. Mamata Banerjee arrived at the site of the collapse on 5 September, where rescue and clearance operations are still underway.
The Chief Minister has called for an emergency meeting at 3.30pm on 6 September to review the situation.
The Kolkata Police, on Friday, 7 September, barred entry of goods vehicles with 20 or more wheels from Kolkata port area.
“Goods vehicles with 20 or more wheels will not be allowed to enter or exit from the Kolkata Port Area from September 10,” Additional Commissioner of Police, Kolkata said.
The Kolkata Police has formed an SIT to investigate the Majherhat bridge collapse. The Detective Department has been handed over the investigation. Statements of key witnesses have been recorded.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the primary report submitted by the PWD engineers had suggested that the cause of the collapse was metro work that was underway nearby.
The NDRF ends rescue operations.
One more body has been recovered from the collapse site, taking the death toll to a total of three. The accused has been identified as Goutam Mondal, a cook working at the metro construction next to he Majerhat bridge.
Visuals of search and rescue operations at the spot where part of Majerhat bridge collapsed on 4 September.
Mamata Banerjee, after visiting the site confirmed that one more person’s body had been recovered today. “One more body was recovered today. We are probing this incident from all the angles, no angle is less or more important for us. We are holding emergency meeting tomorrow to chart future course,” she said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compensation of Rs five lakh to the families of those killed in the Majerhat flyover collapse.
She reached the Majerhat bridge collapse site, a day after the accident occured. Mamata was in Darjeeling when the bridge had collapsed yesterday.
The Public Works Department Alipore Division had issued a notice on16 April 2018 inviting tender for surface repairing of Majerhat bridge.
Citing the notice issued by the Alipore Division, ANI reported that the State government had allocated Rs 16,18,181 for "Surface repairing of Taratala Fly over, Majerhat Bridge and D H Road from 13.205 km to 14.486 km Western flank during the year 2018-19."
ANI also reported that the work on the bridge was to have begun in April and ended six to seven months from the date of commencement.
Taking suo moto cognisance of the accident, the Kolkata police has filed a case against unknown responsible persons under sections 304, 308, 427 and 34 IPC.
BJP MP Roopa Ganguly, who visited the spot on 5 September, tweeted, “The negligence of West Bengal Govt. is unpardonable. The repair was a complete eyewash with only white & blue paint and spraying some bitumen layers.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who cut short her Darjeeling trip, will be taking a noon flight from Bagdogra on 5 September to reach the spot of the tragedy around 2 PM.
On Tuesday, 4 September, Mamata Banerjee announced that a committee headed by chief secretary Moloy De will be probing the incident.
The number of injured rose to 24 out of whom 15 were taken to Kolkata’s SSKM hospital where one was declared dead on arrival and three were treated discharged. 9 of the other injured were taken to CMRI and one was admitted to Vidyasagar hospital.
According to ANI, CM Mamata Banerjee said:
However, the Kolkata police has put out a statement saying that 20 people have received injuries and there has been 1 reported casualty.
According ANI, BJP MP Babul Supriyo said:
The Kolkata police has put out a statement.
According to official reports, one person named Soumen Bagh, a resident of Behala, has been declared dead and twenty others have been injured in the Majerhat flyover collapse is South Kolkata.
Three among those brought injured were female and 18 male.
CM Mamata Banerjee is set to visit the site of the bridge collapse tomorrow morning. She is presently in Darjeeling and will be returning shortly.
The Incident is Extremely Tragic: Rajnath Singh
Speaking to ANI, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said:
The Home Minister has also assured the CM of more help from the Centre if needed.
Central Armed Police Force have reached the spot where part of Majerhat bridge in South Kolkata has collapsed, reported ANI.
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said the Majerhat flyover deserved better maintenance. He said, “There was a report on a pit here for quite some time, I don't know whether PWD noted it. PWD and Railway administration had the responsibility to maintain it. Matter requires investigation.”
Condoling the tragedy, prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “ The collapse of a part of a bridge in Kolkata is deeply unfortunate.”
At least nine people have been shifted to Kolkata's SSKM Hospital. There’s no confirmation on any casualties yet.
Speaking to the media, West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim said, “It was a 40-year-old bridge. As of now there has been no casualty, but search operations are underway. Let us wait.”
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien called the tragedy “devastating”.
Meanwhile, former TMC leader Mukul Roy slammed the Mamata government, saying they should “take complete responsibility of the collapse”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to cut short her trip to Darjeeling – and return to Kolkata. She said, “We are very worried. We are receiving information from the rescue team on ground. We want to go back as soon as possible. There are no flights in the evening, we are unable to do so.”
The Indian Army has not been called in, but since the area is very close, the army field hospital detachment has been sent, ANI reported.
Meanwhile, Kolkata police tweeted about diversions.
“We heard a loud noise, and the electricity went off in our offices. So, we came here to see what happened. Several bikes are buried under the debris. We are trying to help,” an eyewitness told ANI.
At least five people are feared dead and several are feared trapped, reported CNNNews18.
The Majerhat flyover, one of the busiest flyovers in South Kolkata, collapsed on Tuesday, 4 September. Many people are feared trapped.
The Majerhat flyover in South Kolkata connects New Alipore to Behala.
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