Dakshineswar Skywalk develops gap after tile pops up

Kolkata: A floor tile popped up creating a gap on Dakshineswar skywalk triggering tension among a section of the devotees who visited the temple on Wednesday afternoon.

The hawkers, who have put up their stalls on the skywalk, expressed their concern in this regard.

Kamarhati Municipal Chairman Gopal Saha said there was nothing to worry about as the floor tile popped up probably because of the excessive heat. At times, similar incidents take place during summer at other places too.

Experts and engineers rushed to the spot to assess the situation.

The damage will be repaired soon. Security personnel and the local authorities put up a barricade around the damaged portion of the skywalk.

The reason behind the incident is yet to be confirmed. Local residents questioned how could a floor tile in the newly constructed skywalk pop up. Some local resident said around 1 pm they heard a loud thud.

Many devotees were on the skywalk on their way to temple when the incident took place.

People saw the floor tile coming out creating a wide gap on the skywalk. The security personnel deployed at the skywalk rushed to the spot and cordoned-off the damaged portion.

According to Saha, the skywalk remained operational after the incident as experts said there was no risk. Firhad Hakim, the State Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister, said there was no crack in the floor of the skywalk and possibly there could be some welding problem.