Mumbai, Mar. 14, 2019: A foot overbridge leading into the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus collapsed on Thursday, killing five people and injuring several.
The FOB, which is taken by hundreds of commuters everyday, was reported to have collapsed on Thursday evening. Police officials as well as rescue workers rushed to the spot within minutes, and the injured are being treated at the GT Hospital nearby and St. George Hospital.
The Mumbai Police, from their official handle, tweeted at 7.46 p.m. saying, “Foot overbridge connecting platform 1 north end with BT Lane near Times Of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Trafic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot [sic].”
“In an unfortunate incident a portion of a foot overbridge (FOB) over the road outside CSMT station collapsed. It is a public FOB. Railway traffic is not affected,” said a Central Railway spokesperson Sunil Udasi.
DCP Manjunath Singe, a Mumbai Police spokesperson, confirmed that the five killed have been identified as Apoorva Prabhu (35), Ranjana Tambe (40), Zahid Shiraj Khan (32), Sarika Kulkarni (35), and Tapendra Singh (35). He added that 36 people are injured, out of which two are in serious condition.
Dr Vikas Miandad, medical superintendent of GT hospital, said that two of the deceased were nurses working at GT hospital.
BJP leader Vinod Tawde said: “I have received information that a slab of the bridge fell at 7.20 p.m. BMC and Railways will do an inquiry into the incident and if the bridge required any repairs.”
Deora slams BMC, structural auditors
Congress leader Milind Deora said: “This is a BMC bridge. Not a railway bridge. Six months ago, a structural audit was conducted, which declared it safe with some minor repairs.
“I demand that BMC officers and structural auditors be charged with murder. There is a severe case of negligence, if after a structural audit that has declared the bridge fit. An FIR should be lodged under section 302.”
(thehindu.com)