Five Feared Dead, Several Trapped As Portion Of A Prominent Bridge Collapses

A portion of the prominent Majerahat bridge is the posh area of south Kolkata, came crashing down this afternoon. According to eyewitness accounts, five people have been feared dead. However, an official clarification is still awaited.

Several people have been trapped under the debris, many of them still inside their vehicles. The death toll in the accident is likely to go up as several cars and other vehicles are still trapped under the rubble. Four cranes and nearly 500 workers have been pressed into relief operations.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently on a trip to Darjeeling, has said that the priority at the moment is to rescue those trapped. She has added that a detailed investigation of the matter will be conducted later.

Fire brigade, police, and NDRF personnel are engaged in rescue work, with the help of locals. TMC MP Derek O'Brian, who has tweeted about the incident has said that disaster management teams are at work

Watching scenes of Majerhat bridge #Kolkata collapse . Devastating. Rescue teams, disaster management teams, Police CP,fire fighters already reach spot. Locals join. Rescue operations on.Prayers for those affected. Difficult to gauge enormity of tragedy as yet looking at visuals

— Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) September 4, 2018

Cranes already put into action. Fire fighters using ladders already being used. Disaster management teams at work #KolkataBridgeCollapse

— Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) September 4, 2018

Stay tuned for further updates