Thursday, March 31, 2016

India Kolkata: At least 10 dead after flyover collapses on road

A flyover under construction in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta) has collapsed, killing at least 10 people and injuring others.

Many people are feared trapped under the concrete and steel bridge, which fell on a busy road.

Images show residents using their bare hands to help the rescue effort.

Safety issues such as lack of inspections and the use of substandard materials have plagued construction projects in the country.

The accident took place in an area near Girish Park, one of Kolkata's most densely populated neighbourhoods, with narrow lanes, and shops and houses built close together.

The 2km-long (1.2 mile) flyover has been under construction since 2009 and missed several deadlines for completion, Reuters news agency says.

The collapsed structure appears to have hit passers-by, cars, lorries and nearby buildings. People are said to have been living in makeshift homes under the flyover.

Ramesh Kejriwal, an eyewitness, told Reuters: "There was a loud sound which scared us. The concrete had been laid last night at this part of the bridge."

At least 60 injured have been taken to nearby hospitals and some of them are in critical condition, a rescue official told AFP news agency.

Emergency teams have been sent to the area with sniffer dogs, concrete cutters, drilling machines and sensors to detect life, he added.......http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35933452
31/3/16

1 comment :

  1. Bridge collapse in Kolkata, India, leaves people dead, and trapped under rubble...

    A flyover under construction in the bustling Indian city of Kolkata has collapsed on to moving traffic below, killing at least 14 people, injuring at least 78 people with as many as 150 more feared trapped, police say.

    Residents were using their bare hands to try to rescue people pinned under a 100-metre length of metal and cement that snapped off at one end and came crashing down in a teeming commercial district near Girish Park.

    “Monumental tragedy. Rescue ops on. Many feared dead,” Derek O’Brien, spokesman for the left-wing party that governs the state of West Bengal of which Kolkata is the capital, said in a tweet. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking re-election in a regional poll next month, rushed to the scene to survey the damage. She faces tough questions over who was responsible.

    A newspaper reported last November that Banerjee wanted the project - already years late - to be completed by February.

    Project engineers expressed concerns over whether this would be possible, The Telegraph said at the time......news.com.au

    ReplyDelete

Only News

Featured Post

“The U.S. must stop supporting terrorists who are destroying Syria and her people" : US Congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard

US Congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard, recently visited Syria, and even met with President Bashar Al-Assad. She also visited the recently libe...

Blog Widget by LinkWithin