Majerhat bridge collapse in Kolkata brings back horrors of Vivekananda flyover tragedy

In 2016, a total of 27 people were killed and over 60 were injured after an underconstruction 2.2 km-long Vivekananda flyover had collapsed in a congested market area in north Kolkata.

A portion of the arterial Majerhat bridge in southern Kolkata collapsed Tuesday, trapping several people and crushing many vehicles, police said.

A portion of the arterial Majerhat bridge in south Kolkata collapsed on Tuesday, triggering shock and panic across the city. According to police, several people are believed to be trapped under the debris as rescue operation is underway in the fading light. The incident also brought back the frightening memories of a similar bridge collapse in West Bengal two years ago.

In 2016, a total of 27 people were killed and over 60 were injured after an underconstruction 2.2 km-long Vivekananda flyover had collapsed in a congested market area in north Kolkata. The flyover had come up under the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) in order to ease Kolkata’s traffic congestion. Follow LIVE UPDATES on Majerhat bridge collapse

After the collapse of the flyover, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accused the previous Left front government of clearing faulty flyover plans, and leaving these unfinished. Dubbing the flyovers “killer”, she had her government had been forced to shoulder their liability.

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Mamata also claimed her government had been seeking detailed plans of the project, but the contractor, IVRCL, had dilly-dallied. Three IVRCL officials were arrested for criminal negligence. Given the contract for building the Vivekananda flyover in 2007, it has been under the Railway Ministry’s scanner for non-performance, been blacklisted at least twice by different government departments in neighbouring Jharkhand, and escaped the same fate only narrowly in Andhra Pradesh.

READ | Kolkata flyover collapse: How red flags raised over contractor, project were ignored

IVRCL officials’ first reaction to the Kolkata tragedy was calling it an “act of God”, seeking to portray it as a natural calamity. Two officials including a chief engineer of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, which was responsible for supervising work at the Vivekananda flyover, were suspended. The company, however, denied any compromise with quality of work, or a design defect.

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