Majerhat bridge collapse: Toll climbs to two; Mamata Banerjee to chair high-level meet with PWD officials today

West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the toll in the Majerhat bridge collapse had risen to two. Rescue workers pulled out another body from the debris of the 54-year-old structure in Kolkata’s Alipore area, which collapsed on Tuesday and trapped several people and vehicles. Around 25 people were injured in the incident.

Mamata made the statement after reaching the spot where the Majerhat bridge collapsed. She was in Darjeeling when the mishap occurred and arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday. On arrival, she called for an emergency meeting, which will be attended by representatives from the Public Works Department, on Thursday at 3.30 pm.

One more body was recovered today. We are probing this incident from all the angles, no angle is less or more important for us. We are holding emergency meeting tomorrow to chart future course: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on #MajerhatBridgeCollapse pic.twitter.com/PaJfEMjs48

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2018

Mamata confirmed reports that said the nearby work on a metro rail had allegedly caused the collapse. As reported by local residents, she said “people could feel vibrations”. The metro work allegedly caused traffic congestion and flooding, as well. “Since the Majerhat bridge is very old, it is hard keep track of documentation. We try to conduct surveys from time to time,” the chief minister said. The West Bengal government on Tuesday announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family of deceased and Rs 1 lakh for those injured in the Majerhat bridge collapse.

Mamata said the Kolkata Police will investigate the Majerhat bridge collapse. She also appreciated the work done by the National Disaster Response Force, the police and local residents.