Under-construction flyover collapses in Varanasi

More than three dozens were feared killed as a major tragedy rocked this holy city on Tuesday evening as a huge pillar span of under-construction Chowkaghat-Laharatara flyover fell on several vehicles including a roadways bus, several four-wheelers and a number of two-wheelers when it was being put on the two constructed pillars. The incident took place opposite to Gate No. 3 Railway Vasundhara Colony, just about 100 yards away from the Railway station towards Allahabad road.

ADG (Zone) PV Ramasastry feared that the casualty may be around three dozens and it may be increased. He said that the first priority of the police to provide medical help to the injured persons. Meanwhile, hectic work is going on to cut the fallen heavy span with the help of cutters to bring out trapped persons.

In the incident in parliamentary constituency of the prime minister Narendra Modi, it is expected that several persons were killed though entire area was cordoned off and rescue team is working hard to remove the fallen concrete part to bring out those trapped there. The chances of survival of trapped persons are meager. Meanwhile, the chief minister Yogi Aditya Nath has asked deputy chief minister Keshwa Prasad Maurya and local minister Dr Neelkanth Tiwari to visit the site and see the rescue work.

Meanwhile, utter chaos prevailed in the areas and heavy police force including the personnel of PAC, NDRF and CRPF was deployed there to carry on rescue work. Senior district and police officers including divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal, ADG (Zone) PV Ramasastry, IG(Range) Dipak Ratan, SSP RK Bhardwaj and others reached the site. On the other hands, expressing its deep shock over the tragic incident, Banaras Hindu University (BHU)  administration  has alerted the doctors at Sir Sundarlal Hospital (SSH) and Trauma Centre. The doctors at Shree Shiv Prasad Gupta divisional hospital have also been alerted as the number of injured persons may be high.

It may be mentioned that the flyover from Chowkaghat area was constructed during the regime of Mayawati which was ended at Roadways, despite local protests as the people felt at that time that the constructed flyover would not give any relief to traffic jams there on old GT Road. Later, the flyover caused big problem not only at the entry of Varanasi Junction (Cantonment) railway station but also at Cantt. Depot of Roadways. Seeing the increasing pressure of the traffic, during the regime of Akhilesh Yadav, yet another flyover was sanctioned parallel to the old one which would extend to the Lahartara. Since the BJP government came to power, pressure was being mounted on the concerned Bridge Corporation for an earlier  completion of the work. Just a day ago, the divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal had expressed his concern over the slow pace of work and instructed the engineers that the flyover should be completed by October this year. The working agency was facing it really tough to carry on smooth construction work due to heavy tragic pressure there. Since long, the entry into the station premises from Englishia Line area was blocked and the passengers after covering long distance cross the road near Railway Cancer Hospital.