Kolkata flyover crash kills 18, army begins rescue work

CM Mamata Banerjee said 70 have been injured and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the dead

At least 18 people were killed and several injured after part of an under-construction flyover in North Kolkata collapsed in the afternoon hours. Thousands were present in the vicinity when iron beams from the flyover fell over people and vehicles underneath.

The 2.2-km Vivekananda Road flyover, being funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, was being constructed by IVRCL Infrastructure but had got stuck midway after several hurdles.

K P Rao of IVRC said, "Forty-five per cent of the work was left. One girder missed and the second one fell. It is nothing but God's act. This has never happened before; we are also in shock."

After repeatedly missing deadlines, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had indicated the work would be completed early this year. Work started on the flyover in 2009 and the original deadline was August 2011. The implementing agency was Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).

Banerjee, who was campaigning in West Medinipur, rushed to the spot. "Our main focus right now is rescuing those trapped. We appeal to local people to cooperate. Please keep the roads free," she said.

The government sought army assistance. Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said two teams of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 90 personnel, were engaged in the rescue operations; three more teams of 135 personnel were on their way. Paramilitary forces on election duty also rushed there.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed shock. Banerjee has announced Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the dead, Rs 2 lakh each for those critically injured and Rs 1 lakh to those with minor injuries.

With weeks to go for elections in the locality, the blame game among political parties has started. While ruling Trinamool Congress leaders said the flyover construction began during the Left Front regime, former urban development minister in the communist government, Ashok Bhattacharya, said, "We were not there for the past five years. It is the responsibility of the state government." State Congress president, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it was a clear case of corruption. Babul Supriyo, Union minister of state for urban development, said, "The state administration clearly did not take any lesson even after the collapsed Ultadanga flyover."

A flank of the Ultadanga flyover had collapsed in 2013 and was reopened in 2014. However, there were no casualties, as it had happened early morning. It did take down a truck but the driver and his assistants were rescued. The implementing agency was again KMDA. In contrast, the Vivekananda Road collapse occurred during budy traffic hours and in one of the most congested parts of the city.

Banerjee said, those who were guilty would not be spared. "We will take action," she promised.

Her statement was reminiscent of the AMRI Hospital fire that killed 90 people. Months after she took charge as chief minister, there was a major fire at the hospital, then co-promoted by Emami. Emami promoters R S Agarwal and R S Goenka were in custody for months. "We don't want industry that will kill people. Terrorists are terrorists," she had famously said.