Mumbai Bridge Collapse LIVE: CST Foot Overbridge to be Dismantled Shortly

CSMT Bridge to be Demolished Shortly | A day after a foot overbridge connected to CSMT railway station collapsed, killing six persons and injuring 31, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decided to dismantle the structure. The demolition will begin shortly. In a meeting chaired by BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta today, it was also decided that the civic body's Chief Engineer (Vigilance) would conduct an inquiry into the causes that led to the deck of the FOB collapsing on Thursday evening. Ward Officer Kiran Dighawkar said work on dismantling the FOB had begun and cranes and gas-cutters had been assembled for the work.

Meanwhile, CM Devendra Fadnavis has arrived in Amravati for a rally. Fadnavis and Thackeray will address elected representatives and party workers in the town shortly and will then head to Nagpur around 2pm.

"Shamelessly BJP has blamed Mumbaikars for yesterday's incident. How insensitive they have become. If BJP has any apathy left for citizens, they must sack this spokesperson immediately," said Congress's Sanjay Nirupam after a saffron party spokeswoman apparently called Mumbai bridge collapse a 'natural calamity'.

First improve the condition of the present railway infrastructure : @sanjaynirupam President, MRCC #MumbaiBridgeCollapse pic.twitter.com/2WdClMI36q

— MumbaiCongress (@INCMumbai) March 15, 2019

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has ordered an inquiry into Thursday's foot overbridge collapse after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had asked BMC chief Ajoy Mehta to fix "primary responsibility". The deck of a foot overbridge on DN Road connected to CSMT station collapsed Thursday evening, killing six persons and injuring 34.

Mumbai Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam visited St George Hospital where the injured have been admitted.

Mumbai Congress Chief @sanjaynirupam visited St George Hospital to gauge the plight of the injured from the unfortunate incident of FOB collapse yesterday. LOP - BMC @ravirajaINC MRCC GS @bhushankpatil12 South District President Sunil Narsale along with leaders were present. pic.twitter.com/TnNoJ849hA

— MumbaiCongress (@INCMumbai) March 15, 2019

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had asked BMC chief Ajoy Mehta to fix "primary responsibility" for Thursday's foot overbridge collapse by Friday evening. The deck of a foot overbridge on DN Road connected to CSMT station collapsed Thursday evening, killing six persons and injuring 31. Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after meeting the injured in St George's Hospital nearby.

Congress MP from Mumbai North Central constituency Priya Dutt said, "Shocking that the CST footover bridge, which was supposedly audited six months back has collapsed. It’s sad that we still cannot provide safe infrastructure for our hardworking people of Mumbai. In grief, I pray for the victims and their families."

Mumbai Congress quoted a news reports and said that BJP spokeswoman's comment, calling bridge collapse a 'natural calamity', was extremely insensitive.

While citizens were doing their best to help each other and comfort the injured,BJP spokeswoman called it 'natural calamity' and blamed people for traveling on the bridge. An extremely insensitive comment, the apathy is apparent. #MumbaiBridgeCollapse https://t.co/camXZv6aGg

— MumbaiCongress (@INCMumbai) March 15, 2019

At least four people, including two women, have been killed and over 30 are injured as a footover bridge outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station in Mumbai collapsed on Thursday evening.

AIMIM MLA, Waris Pathan, Byculla, said that there are many bridges in Mumbai that need repair but the BJP-Shiv Sena government has not been able to undertake any work.

Mumbai Municipal Corporation has come under attack after the bridge collapse incident at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) area. Congress MLA Nitesh Rane has slammed Sena-led BMC for the incident has has said that people in the lower ranks are always sacked for such incidents. However, it's time to sack the BMC chief and other officers.

Rather than pampering Penguins n fighting for night life..why doesn’t Sena led BMC try saving real lives for a change!
Nw the same old blame game n bridge audit dialogues will start n absolutely nothing will happen!
Richest Muncipal corporation but zero value for life!

— nitesh rane (@NiteshNRane) March 14, 2019

Nw some small officers will b sacked or targeted n sum enquiry will b named just like Kamala mills,elphiston bridge or ghatkopar building crash..
This time..
Sack the BMC chief?
Ask the useless Mayor to resign?
Where is the accountability?!
Walk the talk or just talk once again?

— nitesh rane (@NiteshNRane) March 15, 2019

"There are around 10 injured admitted in the ward, one in ICU; all out of danger now. High-level inquiry will be done to probe into the matter. FIR has been lodged," said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after meeting those injured in footover bridge collapse in Mumbai.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visits the spot where part of a foot over bridge near CSMT railway station collapsed yesterday. Six people had died in the incident.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visits the spot where part of a foot over bridge near CSMT railway station collapsed yesterday. 6 people had died in the incident. pic.twitter.com/aHB3VLufDw

— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2019

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray are expected to begin their joint state-wide tour today, from Vidarbha. Both the leaders are scheduled to address elected representatives and party workers at Amravati on Friday morning at around 11 am and at Nagpur around 2 pm. However, due to the bridge collapse incident, the rallies could be affected.

The foot overbridge is located near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, one of India’s busiest railway stations. Fadnavis said he was told by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner that the bridge was constructed in 1980. “Structural audit of overbridges was ordered last year. The (BMC) commissioner told me that it was found to be fit during the audit. If the bridge collapses despite clearance, it raises questions on the audit,” Devendra Fadnavis said ordering a probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that he has asked for "primary responsibility to be fixed by evening". CM Fadnavis had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured. "The collapsed portion did connect the station but it was in the BMC area and constructed and maintained by the civic authorities," a central railway spokesperson had said on Thursday. 

The audit report on Shivaji bridge, exclusively accessed by CNN-News18, shows that it was in "good condition" but required "minor repairs".

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala has blamed PM Modi and Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra Govt for "inaction leading to repeat tragedies".

Deeply saddened to learn about the #MumbaiBridgCollapse where several people are still reportedly trapped.

My deepest condolences to the families of innocent victims of this terrible tragedy. Hope administration takes swift action & provides urgent medical help to injured. 1/2

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 14, 2019

Modi Govt & Mah. Govt are criminally culpable for inaction leading to repeat tragedies-:

29/9/2017-Elphistone Stampede.

3/7/2018-Andheri Bridge Collapse.

Rly Min’s tall claims of Audit have failed time and again.

Rly Min, Piyush Goyal must resign or be sacked.
2/2

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 14, 2019

Morning visuals from the spot where part of a foot over bridge near CSMT railway station collapsed in Mumbai yesterday.

Maharashtra: Morning visuals from the spot where part of a foot over bridge near CSMT railway station collapsed in Mumbai yesterday. 6 people had died in the incident. pic.twitter.com/4qQ909Zznc

— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2019

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Vinod Tawde said that the bridge only had “minor defects” and it was not considered “risky”. He said it will be probed why the bridge was not closed despite repairs being undertaken. Congress president Rahul Gandhi offered condolences to the families of those killed in the incident and prayed for speedy recovery to the injured, even as his party demanded the ouster of Railway minister Piyush Goyal, saying he was criminally culpable. Party leader Murli Milind Deora also held the BJP and Shiv Sena responsible for the collapse, and demanded that the auditors who cleared the bridge be booked for murder.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to the accident. “My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Wishing that the injured recover at the earliest. The Maharashtra Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected,” he tweeted. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, announced a probe and said the guilty will be punished. He said that the bridge was audited last year and was found to be structurally sound. He has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured. 

Rescue Op After Shivaji Bridge Collapse | Senior police officials, the fire brigade and a team of the National Disaster Response Force were rushed to the site of the accident. The pedestrian bridge, which was demolished after the collapse, connected the railway station to the Azad Maidan police station, the Times of India building and a school. Apart from public and private ambulances, people at the spot also helped in rescue operations and were seen carrying the injured to the hospitals. A 45-member team from the National Disaster Response Force and the Mumbai Fire Brigade were also sent. Rescue operations went on for over an hour as many were trapped under the debris, officials said.

Mumbai Bridge Collapse Victims | Thursday's collapse happened around 7.30 pm when a major portion of the bridge caved in, officials said. Some motorists who were passing beneath the bridge when it came down, were among those injured. The six who died include two female nurses from Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital, both of who were heading to work for the night shift. They were identified as Apoorva Prabhu (35) and Ranjana Tambe (40). The others were identified as Zahid Shiraj Khan (32), Bhakti Shinde (40), Tapendra Singh (35) and Mohan Kaygunde (55).

Third Bridge Collapse in 18 Months | The bridge collapse, on the busy Dadabhai Naoroji Road, was the third in less than 18 months in the maximum city. On July 3, 2018, a pedestrian pathway of Gokhale Bridge over Andheri railway station in suburban Mumbai had collapsed, killing two and injuring five others. Nine months before that, in 2017, 23 people were killed in a stampede when the Elphinstone Bridge had collapsed.

Witnesses Account | An 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. Another eyewitness said the overbridge was being used despite repairs being carried out this morning.

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, witnessed another deadly incident when the nodal foot over-bridge at the northern end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) came crashing down on Thursday evening. Six commuters were killed and at least 34 injured. The number of casualties is expected to rise.