Mumbai: Foot over bridge collapses; 4 dead, around 36 injured; Many feared trapped under debris
Mumbai, Mar 14: At least four persons died after a foot overbridge collapsed on Thursday near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station in Mumbai. Many are feared injured. Reports say that over 30 persons are injured. Many are still trapped under the debris. Two of the total 4 persons who died are said to be women.
"Foot over bridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane near Times of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Traffic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot," Mumbai Police tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways has clarified that the bridge was under BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation).
"However, we are extending all our supports to the victims. Railway doctors and personnel are cooperating with BMC in relief and rescue operations," reports quoted Ministry of Railways as saying.
Meanwhile, the political blamegame has begun and the opposition parties are training gun at the CM Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra.
Since it was peak traffic time, there were several people on the bridge as well as under it. Some of the injured are those who were walking on the bridge, while some are those who were underneath it when the bridge came crashing down.
Pained to hear about the FOB incident near TOI building in Mumbai.
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 14, 2019
Spoke to BMC Commissioner and @MumbaiPolice officials and instructed to ensure speedy relief efforts in coordination with @RailMinIndia officials.
Here are the visuals from the spot where a foot over bridge came crashing down:
Mumbai: Visuals from St George Hospital where some of the people, injured in foot over bridge near CSMT railway station collapse, have been taken. 34 people are injured, 2 people dead. pic.twitter.com/G3vIrPU8yE
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2019
The reason behind the collapse of the bridge is yet to be ascertained, but the bridge was an old one. The injured have been admitted to St George Hospital. The rescue operations are underway and senior police officers have reached the spot.
As per the information received, a part of foot over bridge near CSMT station in Mumbai collapsed. As per initial information 10-12 persons are feared to be trapped under the debris. An NDRF team has been moved from Andheri center, news agency ANI quoted NDRF as saying.
There are at least two hospitals close to the place of the mishap because of which the casualties could be low and the injured can get fast medical assistance.
In June last year, six people were injured after a part of Road Over Bridge (ROB) collapsed on the railway tracks near Andheri station towards Vile Parle on South end. The Gokhale bridge which connected Andheri East and Andheri West stations was built around 1976 and was used by thousands of commuters each day.
[Mumbai Rains: 6 injured as foot overbridge collapses in Andheri west; rescue operation underway]
In September 2017, twenty-three commuters had died in a stampede on foot-over bridge connecting Parel-Elphinstone Road stations on 29 September 2017. The incident had taken place between the Parel railway station and Prabhadevi railway station.