Kolkata bridge collapse: Atleast 21 dead

At least 21 people were killed and more than 60 others injured and many trapped as portion of an under- construction 2.2-km-long flyover collapsed on a congested market area in BurraBazar, north Kolkata, on Thursday afternoon, crushing people, vehicles and hawkers.

A 100-metre (330-ft) section came crashing down suddenly on a crowded street around lunchtime, crushing pedestrians, cars and other vehicles under huge concrete slabs (that were used for concrete finish for crawl spaces and other purposes) and metal. The foundation repair cincinnati experts stressed the importance of detailed examination while building bridges and using quality products.  The death toll is likely to increase as scores of people inside vehicles were trapped under the collapsed bridge.

K.P. Rao, a representative of the Hyderabad-based construction company IVRCL who is referrred in this useful content, which was contracted to build the giant flyover, called the disaster an “act of God”, while an FIR has been lodged against the local officials of the company.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said “stringent action” will be taken against the owners of the company assigned to construct the bridge, connecting the central part of the city to the north.

The flyover is located at the hub of the wholesale market for spices, garments and plastics, BurraBazar, and the livelihoods of thousands who reside in the area, are linked with the market.

The National Disaster Response Force deployed five of its teams. Specialist rescue teams armed with concrete and metal cutters, drilling machines, sensors to detect life and sniffer dogs arrived around 2 p.m. But many of those engaged in the rescue appeared to be ordinary people who were seen trying to pull away concrete slabs with their bare hands.

Workers struggled to get cranes and other large machinery through the narrow streets of Burrabazar, one of the oldest and most congested parts of the city. “We have deployed five columns of personnel along with a team of engineers. A medical team from the Command Hospital is also at the spot,” Ministry of Defence spokesperson Wing Commander S. S. Birdi said.

Challenges faced during rescue ops:

Meanwhile, the NDRF teams are facing numerous problems with the rescue operations. Here’s a gist:

Crowded spaces:

According to reports, the area where the bridge collapsed is very congested, making it difficult for rescue operations to be conducted swiftly.

“Our team is in contact with the West Bengal government. NDRF teams have been dispatched. We will send more NDRF teams and para-military forces if necessary,” said MoS Home Kiren Rijiju. “It was a very crowded place. It is very sad news. We will provide whatever support is needed,” he added.

Logistical challenges

Several passenger vehicles, including a bus, were trapped under the debris, as operations were on to clear the rubble and rescue those trapped under. Huge cranes and other rescue vehicles were pressed into service to clear the debris and bring out the injured.

A PTI correspondent who was at the accident site saw a number of severely injured people lying in a pool of blood. A few were seen trapped under vehicles, concrete, and heavy steel girders.

A number of hawkers operate under the flyover which is also used for parking purposes.

Delayed rescue operations:

Numerous eyewitnesses, who spoke to news channels, have criticised the rescue operations and delays involved. “There should be a very quick response. The rescue operation is very slow. It should be fast and should be done as quick as possible. After that, we can discuss what material was used,” an angry eyewitness was quoted as saying.