Kolkata Bridge Collapse: 200 men on site for overnight operations, 'slim chance' of survival, say officials

The rescue operations at Kolkata’s Majerhat Bridge collapse site will continue through the night. Around 200 men of the Nation Disaster Response Force have been deployed on the spot.

Halogen bulbs, gas cutters and earth-moving equipment are being used to remove the debris to look for anyone trapped inside. Five NDRF teams also include six dogs, which can sniff out any living being trapped under the rubble. NDRF's Nishit Upadhyay said that ''we haven't found any trapped body or anyone alive.’ Officials also said that there is a slim chance of survival. 

The Majerhat bridge in the crowded Alipore area caved in around 4.45 pm during rush hour. It runs over the Majerhat Railway Station and connects the city centre with the heavily populated Behala, vast areas of the southwest suburbs and neighbouring South 24 Parganas district.

Police confirmed the death of one person and said 21 others, including three women were injured.

The victim has been identified as Soumen Bag, a resident of Thakurpukur. Bag, in his late 20s, was returning home from College Street in central Kolkata after buying some books when the incident took place, according to the police. 

The injured have been admitted to SSKM and CMRI hospitals, the police added.

Fire brigade personnel engaged in the rescue work had earlier said 25 injured were pulled out from the rubble.

Additional lighting arrangements have been made to facilitate the rescue work at night.

One minibus, four cars and a few motorbikes which were hit by the collapse were seen lying at the accident site till evening.

An eyewitness claimed that some people in a minibus and private cars were trapped.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is now in Darjeeling, said that rescue work was almost over and only a concrete slab remains to be cut to find out whether any person was trapped there.

She said there was a hut under the bridge and some labourers engaged in metro rail construction work used to stay. "Had they been there during the time of accident, an unfortunate thing might have happened," she said.

Banerjee said that thousands of people pass through the area and the government has to probe the accident.

"A probe will be done by a committee headed by Chief Secretary Malay De to find out the cause of the collapse. Action will be taken against those whose negligence caused the accident. No one will be spared," she said.
She also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the dead and Rs 50,00 each to the injured.

Banerjee said she will visit the site tomorrow cutting short her tour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident as "deeply unfortunate" and hoped for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Governor KN Tripathi, who visited the site earlier in the evening, described it as "a big disaster".

"I have come to see the rescue work. It is a big disaster. I heard that maintenance of the bridge is entrusted with the PWD and the railways. The matter required to be enquired," he told reporters.

(With inputs from PTI)