Kolkata: A section of an over 50-year-old bridge on the arterial Diamond Harbour Road in south Kolkata collapsed Tuesday evening, snuffing out one life, trapping several people and crushing many vehicles, police said.
The Majerhat bridge in the crowded Alipore area caved in around 4.45 pm during rush hour. It runs over the Majerhat Railway Station and connects the city centre with the densely populated Behala, the vast area of the south-west suburbs and neighbouring South 24 Parganas district.
Police confirmed the death of one person and said 21 others, including three women, were injured.
The injured have been admitted to SSKM and CMRI hospitals, the police added.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is now in Darjeeling, said that rescue work was almost over and only a concrete slab remains to be cut to find out whether any person was trapped there.
She said there was a hut under the bridge and some labourers engaged in metro rail construction work used to stay. "Had they been there during the time of the accident, an unfortunate thing might have happened", she said.
Banerjee said that thousands of people pass through the area and the government has to probe the accident.
"A probe will be done by a committee headed by Chief Secretary Malay De to find out the cause of the collapse.
"Action will be taken against those whose negligence caused the accident. No one will be spared", she said.
She also announced a compensation of Rs five lakh to the family of the dead and Rs 50,00 each to the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident as "deeply unfortunate" and hoped for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Governor K N Tripathi, who visited the site, described it as "a big disaster".