Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the Majerhat bridge collapse site straight from the Kolkata airport on Wednesday after cutting short her visit in Darjeeling.
Immediately, she called for an emergency meeting, which will be attended by representatives from the Public Works Department, on Thursday at 3.30 pm.
On Tuesday, the death toll went up to two after the body of a 24-year-old youth, Pranab Dey, was recovered from under the debris. He was a resident of Murshidabad and used to work at the adjacent Metro project site. This comes at the time when the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Disaster Management Group (DMG) of the Kolkata Police are continuing with the work to remove the collapsed part of the bridge. Currently, efforts are on to look out for another person, who is still suspected to be under the debris.
The Chief Minister, who was monitoring the rescue operation from Darjeeling itself, reached the spot and inspected the site. She was accompanied by Firhad Hakim, the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister, Aroop Biswas, the state Public Works Department minister, Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, Indranil Sen, Minister of State for Tourism, Chief Secretary Malay De, Director General of Police Virendra, State Security Advisor Surajit Kar Purkayastha and Rajeev Kumar, Commissioner of Kolkata Police.
"We are keeping a close watch and time-to-time surveys will be conducted by experts. Here, the work of the Metro was going on and locals also complained of heavy vibration during the piling work. People of Central and North Kolkata had also had similar experiences during the work of the Metro there," the Chief Minister said adding that "We don't want to reach to a judgment by highlighting one particular issue. Instead, all probable causes will be probed. Kolkata Police has lodged an FIR and there will be proper probe."
The Kolkata Police has started a suo moto case with Alipore Police Station against unknown persons in this connection under various sections of the Indian Penal Code on charges of punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder (304 IPC) and attempt to commit culpable homicide (308 IPC). Both the sections are non-bailable.
Banerjee also maintained: "The way the bridge had collapsed, the death toll could have been higher. But the people and police who carried out the rescue work have been instrumental in bringing out the trapped buses and cars within a span of just two hours and that helped to save a lot of lives. Still, there is no trace of two persons."
It may be mentioned that the search is on using thermal imaging camera to locate the person lying underneath the debris. In the morning, drill machines and earth movers were deputed.
Expressing her condolences for those who died, the Chief Minister said: "Death cannot be compensated with money. But the state government is concerned about their family members and Rs 5 lakh will be given to the next-to-the-kin of the victims. Those admitted with critical injuries will be given a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each while others with minor injuries will receive Rs 50,000 each." The state Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department has already disbursed the money for distribution among the victims. She further said that the condition of one admitted in CMRI Hospital and another in SSKM Hospital is critical while the rest are undergoing necessary treatment.
Lauding the police for outstanding rescue work along with all other departments and local youths, she said: "The rescuers will be awarded for their good work."
Banerjee added: "I was told by the concerned engineers that this is a 54-year-old bridge. You all know that there are such bridges all across the country. But the number is more in Bengal because it is a riverine state. We also monitor the bridges every six months. But necessary documents of such old bridges are difficult to be found and we had faced a similar situation when the Vivekananda Flyover had collapsed."
Seeking cooperation of the locals in Behala, she said: "The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been directed to widen the roads for smooth flow of traffic till the bridge is repaired. Transport system will also be made effective accordingly."