Kolkata: An under construction flyover collapse in Kolkata on Thursday afternoon that claimed more than 20 lives.
A video of the disaster showed the Vivekananda Road Flyover -- whose foundation was laid in 2008 and where work began in February 2009 -- suddenly crashing with a roar, giving no time for anyone under it to escape.
Problems started with the flyover during midnight of Wednesday-Thursday when concrete casting was being done, construction workers said.
Sunil Sarkar, who was among those doing the concrete casting, said, “The bolt was coming apart as the bucket could not hold it. I think the sunshade in that particular place was made too big.” Sarkar, now in hospital after sustaining injury, said a technician was called who welded the bolt in place.
"There was a sudden thundering noise as the flyover crashed,” a witness said, adding that he saw the flyover collapse over taxis, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles besides people who were walking under it.
The state government has formed two expert teams to look into the reasons for the mishap and suggest remedies. Following this, the police filed an FIR against the implementing agency IVRCL Infrastructure, whose owner described the disaster as an ‘act of god’.
Experts from Kharagpur-IIT and Jadavpur University, said that lack of proper planning, delays, lacunae in design and bad tendering could have triggered the collapse.
The long-delayed 2.5-km flyover was expected to tackle congestion in Burra Bazar area -- the location of one of the largest wholesale markets in Asia -- up to the Howrah station, the gateway to the city. It was scheduled to be ready in 2012 but land acquisition issues delayed its completion.
