2 killed, 5 critically injured as bridge collapses in Farakka

Kolkata: Two persons were killed and five persons were seriously injured when a portion of an under-construction bridge collapsed at Farakka on Sunday evening.

It has been learnt that the portion collapsed when the work to place a girder between pillars 1 and 2 of the bridge was going on. A rescue operation is already underway. The injured persons have been taken to Malda Medical College and Hospital. Sources said that one person was killed while six were critically injured, of whom another succumbed to injuries later.

The deceased and all the injured persons were busy at the construction site when the incident took place. Senior police officers and engineers have rushed to the spot.

The bridge has collapsed within 18 months from the beginning of the work. Initial suspicion by experts points at structural flaws in the construction of the bridge, which led to the mishap.