Highway overpass collapses in Kolkata, one killed

Kolkata, India: The West Bengal government will pay compensation of Rs500,000 (Dh25,728) to the family of the deceased in Majerhat bridge collapse in Kolkata on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said .

The government will also pay Rs50,000 to each of the injured, she told reporters. "We will pay Rs5 lakh [Rs500,000] to the family of the dead person as compensation. We will also give Rs50 thousand to each of the injured," the Chief Minister said.

One person died and 19 people were injured when a portion of the Majerhat bridge collapsed in South Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon.

The 40-year-old bridge in the crowded Alipore area caved in around 4.45 pm during rush hour over rail tracks. It runs over the Majerhat Railway Station and connects the city centre to Behala and other southern suburbs. 

Televised images from the scene showed a section about 100 feet (30 metres) long that dropped to the ground below.

 While police confirmed the death of one person, fire brigade personnel engaged in the rescue work said 25 injured were pulled out from the rubble.

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

State minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said she has heard about the death of five persons but it is yet to be confirmed.

NDRF DG Sanjay Kumar said earthmovers are being used.

"We have to take into account the safety aspect while clearing the debris", he said.

Another minister Firhad Hakim said efforts are being made to find out any trapped person under the debris.

After the rescue work is over "we will undertake technical inquiry", he said.

An eyewitness said some people in a minibus and private cars have been trapped.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the first priority is to rescue the injured and those who are trapped.

She said a probe would be ordered to find out the cause of the collapse.

City mayor Sovan Chatterjee and senior police officers are at the accident site.

Circular Railway services and local train services in Budge Budge-Sealdah line were affected, an Eastern Railway spokesman said here.

The local train services were suspended from 4.45 pm, he said.

The bridge collapse hit traffic movement to and from vast areas in south-west Kolkata and adjacent South 24 Parganas district.

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

TMC leader Derek O'Brien tweeted, "Watching scenes of Majerhat bridge #Kolkata collapse . Devastating. Rescue teams, disaster management teams, Police CP,fire fighters already reach spot. Locals join. Rescue operations on.Prayers for those affected. Difficult to gauge enormity of tragedy as yet looking at visuals."