With at least 24 people dead and over 80 people rescued so far, hopes of finding more survivors trapped under a collapsed flyover are fading in the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta). Hundreds of rescuers have been working through the night, combing through rubble of about 100 meters (about 328 feet) of the Vivekananda Overpass that buried moving cars and pedestrians in the crowded neighborhood north of the city's center. Many of the rescued are in critical conditions in hospitals and reports say it is not clear how many people may be still trapped under the debris.
More pictures after the cut
Police have opened a case of culpable homicide against the company in charge of the construction, IVRCL. Reports say five of the firm's officials have been detained for questioning and its headquarters in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad have been sealed off. The company said it would co-operate with investigators. However one of its senior officials said in a news conference that the collapse had been "an act of god" as the company had a good safety record. What people want to know is why what should have been a fairly straightforward construction project ended in such terrible disaster. And with state elections just days away, it has become a political issue, not just here in Bengal but nationally as well. People are asking why a construction company that had been blacklisted by other states was put in charge of the project. Was too much pressure being put on it to complete the work? Did it cut corners?
Rescue workers have struggled to get cranes and other machinery through the narrow and congested streets of Burrabazar area where the incident happened.
The cause of the disaster was not immediately clear, but safety issues such as lack of inspections and the use of substandard materials have plagued construction projects in India.
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