- Death toll on the collapsed flyover in India rises to 25
- Authorities say there is little hope of finding any more survivors
- Almost 300 rescuers including army and disaster management personnel were sent to work in the rescue operation
KOLKATA, India – The number of fatalities caused by the collapsed flyover in India has risen to 25 on Friday following the conduct of rescue operations through the night to search for more survivors.
Deputy police commissioner Akhilesh Chaturvedi who announced the number of death toll said the rescue operation will not stop until all the blocks of concrete and iron girders have been cleared.
In a report from the Manila Bulletin published on March 31, it said that almost 300 rescuers including army and disaster management personnel have been deployed to work on the rescue operation.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), however, said there was little hope of finding any more survivors under the rubble of the flyover, which had been under construction since 2009.
However, emergency authorities revealed that there is little hope left to find survivors after rescuing nearly a hundred people from under the rubble of the road that collapsed on a street in Kolkata on Thursday which destroyed cars and hurt pedestrians.
The cause of the sudden collapse is not yet clear; however, the police said it has registered a preliminary case against the contractor.
The state government, which is seeking re-election in a vote which will start on Monday, has assured to take action against those found responsible.
Hospital manager Sitaram Agarwal said most victims were treated for head and leg injuries.
The authorities said they initially 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.
A victim said he had been working on the structure before it collapsed and had seen bolts come out of the metal girders.
Milan Sheikh, the injured worker, said the bolts started coming out this morning and then the flyover came crashing down.
The disaster is the latest in a string of deadly construction accidents in India where enforcement of safety rules is weak and substandard materials are often used.
The flyover which is two kilometers long started construction in 2009 and was set for completion in 18 months. However, it has suffered a series of hold-ups.
West Bengal state chief minister of Mamata Banerjee said the government “will not spare” the contractors; the Indian construction company IVRCL.
The police said they had registered preliminary cases of murder including attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy against the company.
The offices of the company in Kolkata have been locked-up by investigators.
The Times of India, which said the disaster is a reminder of poor quality of construction and gross neglect of public safety in their cities, called for a thorough inquiry to determine what went wrong.
Banerjee blamed the previous state government under which the flyover project was started.
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