Guv, ministers, top cop visit incident spot

Kolkata: A part of the central section of the Majerhat Bridge caved in on Tuesday, leading to a few cars, two-wheelers and a bus on the section plunging down.

Firhad Hakim, the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister, who rushed to the spot, stated that there is a need to find out the exact reason behind the incident.

He, however, did not rule out the possibility of heavy piling work that is going on at the adjacent Metro project to be the main reason that turned the bridge weaker.

He maintained that there is a need to carry out "shift piling" when there is such a structure close to the project area or else it becomes weaker. "I don't know whether shift piling was being done for the Metro project or not," he said.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee also visited the spot and was there to supervise the rescue operations.

After inspecting the site, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi offered condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased and also wished speedy recovery to those injured.

"Kesari Nath Tripathi visited the site of tragic incident of collapse of a portion of the Majerhat Bridge on Tuesday and interacted with available officials of the state government and Kolkata Police engaged in rescue and relief work," a release issued by the Governor's office said.