Varanasi flyover collapse: 4 probe teams on ground zero, fifth from Centre to arrive on Friday

Officials said on Thursday four teams are investigating what caused a portion of an under-construction flyover to collapse in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi killing 18 people on Tuesday and a central team was likely to visit the site on Friday to conduct a separate probe.

“It will submit its report to the Prime Minister’s office (PMO),” a senior district administration official, who did not wish to be named, said.

The official said the PMO was keeping a close watch on all the investigations that are being carried out.

“The PMO will not only review the probe report of the central team but also of all others committees,” he added.

The Centre’s team will be led by over bridge construction technology expert Vinay Kumar Gupta.

Except for the central team, the other four have already begun their probe and are preparing their separate reports.

A team of forensic experts from the city unit visited the narrow stretch of the road between Cantonment railway station and the under-construction Lahartara overbridge on Thursday to collect more samples.

Another team constituted by district magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra is also carrying out a probe at the site of the accident. The team is being led by additional district magistrate (finance) Manoj Kumar Rai which will submit its report to Mishra.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath constituted a three-member committee under agriculture production commissioner RP Singh on the day of the accident asking it to submit its report within 48 hours. The team is likely to submit its report at the chief minister’s office.

A probe team constituted by deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is also investigating the reasons behind the collapse. This team comprises VK Gupta, chief engineer of public works department in Lucknow, VK Sharma, joint managing director of Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Ltd, and SK Gupta, chief engineer (PWD), Allahabad.

The official, quoted above, said authorities have decided that the construction work on the Cantonment-Lahartara overbridge will continue after a security audit.

“Investigations will also continue simultaneously,” he added.

The official said Varanasi’s divisional commissioner Deepak Agarwal will monitor all under construction over bridges in the city.