At Least 14 Dead And Dozens Trapped In Flyover Collapse In India

An under-construction flyover collapsed onto moving traffic in the busy center of Kolkata, India on Thursday, trapping scores of people and killing at least 14, police said.

 

The collapse occurred in the West Bengal capital’s Burrabazar neighborhood, close to the famous Ganesh Talkie’s cinema in Girish Park.
Eyewitnesses cited by NDTV and the Asian News International (ANI) agency are quoted as saying as many as 150 people could be trapped under the rubble of the fallen concrete and steel bridge.

 

Raichand Mohta, a police officer at the scene, told Reuters: “The condition is pathetic. At this moment no one has any clue how many people are trapped.”

 

Local residents have reportedly been trying to rescue people from under the debris, and emergency vehicles were having difficulty in getting close to the crash site, Reuters reported.

The bridge has been under construction since 2009, and several deadlines for completion have been missed. Reuters reported that Banerjee wanted to crossing finished by February, and opponents raised questions over whether or not this was possible.

Referring to those caught in the disaster, senior policeman Akhilesh Chaturvedi, said: “Most were bleeding profusely. The problem is that nobody is able to drive an ambulance to the spot.”

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted he was “shocked and saddened” by events in Kolkata.

 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting regional elections next month, rushed to the scene to survey the damage. She is likely to face difficult questions over who is responsible for the collapse.