Part of a pedestrian bridge collapsed during evening rush hour on Thursday in Mumbai.
At least 6 people were killed and 35 injured when part of a pedestrian bridge collapsed during evening rush hour on Thursday in Mumbai. Three of the dead were women, Mumbai police said. All the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.
According to eyewitness accounts, a big slab of the FOB came crashing at around 7.30 pm due to which several pedestrians were injured. An eyewitness said the overbridge was being used despite repairs being carried out this morning. Some motorists who were passing beneath the bridge when it came down, were among those injured, he added. Another eyewitness said when the bridge collapsed, there was a red light at the nearby signal, and that is why the death toll was not more.
Mumbai Police, Fire Brigade and other rescue agencies reached the spot and immediately evacuated those buried under the rubble and shifted them to hospitals. An excavator was brought in to clear the debris that had blocked the movement of traffic on a busy road in south Mumbai. The NDRF team was withdrawn from the accident spot at 10.34 pm after the completion of the rescue operation.
An FIR has been registered against concerned officials of Central Railway and BMC under section 304A (causing death by negligence) of IPC at Azaad Maidan Police Station in the incident.
The incident brought back memories of a rush hour stampede that killed at least 22 people and injured 36 in 2017 at a busy railway station in Mumbai.
1. The 'Kasab' bridge collapses
)
The bridge connected the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station with the Azad Maidan Police Station. A major portion of a foot overbridge near a train station collapsed Thursday evening, officials said.
This bridge, is also known as Kasab Bridge because Kasab has used this bridge to exit from the CSMT station after 26/11 attack. He was pictured near this same bridge while running towards Cama hospital lane where he killed senior ATS officials.
The bridge was officially known as "Himalaya" foot overbridge. It was constructed in 1980 and is almost 39 years old. After the Elphinstone bridge collapse incident an audit of the bridge was done in which it was found to be fit and only minor repairs were done.
(Image: DNA/Salman Ansari)
2. 6 people dead, more than 30 injured
)
Here's the full list of casualties provided by Mumbai Police:
Deaths: Apoorva Prabhu (35), Ranjana Tambe (40), Zahid Shiraj Khan (32), Bhakti Shinde (40), Mohan Kayagude (55) and Tapendra Singh (35).
The injured have been identified as: Sonali Navale (30), Adhvit Navale (3), Rajendra Navale (33), Rajesh Lokhande (39), Tukaram Yedge (31), Jayesh Avlani (46), , Mahesh Shere (9), Ajay Pandit (31), Harshada Vaghale (35), Vijay Bhagvat (42), Nilesh Patavkar (13), Parshuram Pawar (14), Mumblik Jaiswal, Mohan Mojhada (43), Anolkhi (32), Ayushi Ranka (30), Siraj Khan (55), Ram Kupreja (59), Rajedas Das (23), Sunil Girlotkar (39), Aniket Anil Jadhav (19), Abhijit Mana (21), Rajkumar Chawala (49), Subhesh Banrji (37), Ravi Lageshetty (40), Nanda Vitthal Kadam (56), Rakesh Mishra (40), Attar Khan (45), Sujay Mazi (28), Kanubhai Solankhi (47) and Deepak Parek (32).
(Image: DNA/Prajakta)
3. Bridge belonged to BMC, was undergoing 'minor' repairs
)
Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Vinod Tawde has said that the footover bridge outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus was under repair when a portion of it partially caved in at around 7:30pm on Thursday.
Tawde claimed that the bridge was not considered 'risky' and it only had some “minor defects”. He added that an investigation will be launched to find out why the bridge was open for public despite repairs being undertaken.
According to sources, the audit of the foot overbridge was ordered last year after the collapse of another foot overbridge in Andheri last year. A total of 445 were named for safety audit after Andheri's incident.
(Image: DNA/Salman Ansari)
4. Maharashtra govt annouces ex-gratia
)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced compensation for those who were killed in the incident. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those who were killed in the incident and a compensation of Rs 50,000 each will be given to the injured. The state government will provide for the treatment of injured people.
5. Traffic advisory
)
The traffic police have stopped movement of vehicles on a key road near the foot overbridge (FOB) which partially collapsed Thursday evening.
In view of the collapse of the FOB, traffic is being closed on both sides between CST junction and JJ flyover till further orders, said a police official. Commuters are advised to use the Mahapalika Marg from CST to metro junction and ahead towards Princess Street flyover-Crawford Market-Chakala and Mohammed Ali Road, he said.
Commuters coming from JJ flyover may take a right turn towards Crawford Market-metro junction-CST and or take a left turn at Nesbit junction and move further to P D Mellow Road- Avatar Singh Bedi chowk to CST-lion Gate, regal junction and further, he said.
6. PM Modi, CM Fadnavis express pain
)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives in the Mumbai foot overbridge collapse.
"Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the foot overbridge accident in Mumbai. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Wishing that the injured recover at the earliest," Modi tweeted.
Maharashtra state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Twitter he was pained to hear about the accident and had asked municipal and police officials to ensure speedy relief efforts.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis also took to Twitter and expressed sadness over the incident, he said, "Pained to hear about the FOB incident near TOI building in Mumbai. Spoke to BMC Commissioner and Mumbai Police officials and instructed to ensure speedy relief efforts in coordination with @RailMinIndia officials."
(Image: DNA/Prajakta)
7. Political blame game
)
After the collapse, a blame game started, with the Congress demanding fixing of accountability for the tragedy. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said he was deeply saddened to learn about the Mumbai bridge collapse.
"Modi Government and Maharashtra government are criminally culpable for inaction leading to repeat tragedies - 29/9/2017 - Elphistone Stampede. 3/7/2018 - Andheri Bridge Collapse. Railway Minister's tall claims of audit have failed time and again. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal must resign or be sacked," he said on Twitter.
"Government should act against the structural auditors who had given this bridge a safety certificate. FIR must be lodged under Section 302 of IPC," said Congress leader Milind Deora.
(Image: DNA/Salman Ansari)
8. How a red traffic signal proved lucky for many
)
A red signal at a traffic junction near a foot overbridge (FOB) proved lucky for a large number of motorists who were waiting for it to turn green. Without the red signal, the motorists would have passed under the ill-fated bridge near the CSMT railway station when a part of it came crashing at around 7.30 pm.
