Kolkata: A portion of the arterial Majerhat bridge in southern Kolkata collapsed on Tuesday, trapping several people and crushing many vehicles, the police said.
According to a report in the Times of India, one person has died in the crash and at least 21 have been injured. The deceased has been identified as Soumen Bag, who reportedly fell headlong into the wedge as the bridge split.
Rahul Rai, who witnessed the collapse, told the Times of India, “A minibus and cars that were ahead simply disappeared. The rest of the bridge shook as my cab screeched to a halt and I stepped out. We were met with the surreal sight of cars and buses perched on the road that had crashed down two-and-a-half storeys.”
The area has several under-construction buildings nearby.
As per a Hindustan Times report, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed the death and expressed concern about those who were still trapped underneath the rubble.
Governor Kesri Nath Tripathi too visited the site of collapse, India Today reported. “The bridge deserved better maintenance. There was a report on a pit here for quite some time, I don’t know whether the PWD noted it. The PWD and Railway administration had the responsibility to maintain it. The matter requires investigation,” he told media persons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident “deeply unfortunate.”
The collapse of a part of a bridge in Kolkata is deeply unfortunate. My thoughts are with the families of the victims. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2018
Around 200 personnel from the Nation Disaster Response Force have reportedly been deployed and rescue operations and underway
(With PTI Inputs)