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Varanasi flyover collapse LIVE updates: While the state government has formed a panel to look into the flyover collapse which killed over 18 on Tuesday, an official of the UP State Bridge Corporation said that the body was set to pace up the work in order to complete the flyover by October. The piece of the flyover which fell was laid two months ago and interlocking work was being done, said K R Sudan, an official of UP State Bridge Corporation. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that he has asked Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to personally monitor rescue and relief work. At a press conference, he also said that a committee has been constituted to probe the incident and submit a report in 48 hours. A portion of a flyover being built by a state-run corporation collapsed on a busy road in Varanasi on Tuesday, killing at least 18 people as it crushed a mini bus, cars and two-wheelers. Officials feared that the toll may rise. Hours later, people were still believed buried under the rubble of the flyover with several cranes being deployed to lift the concrete girder that crashed around 4 pm on the road that leads to the Varanasi-Allahabad highway. Reports said at least 20 people were injured in the accident barely 100 metres from the Varanasi Cantonment railway station. A mini bus and four cars came under the slab, officials said. Eight to 10 two-wheelers were also trapped, Director General of Police OP Singh said. Local residents said cyclists and pedestrians also use the stretch of the road, narrowed because of the construction activity. Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner Sanjay Kumar said 18 bodies were pulled out. Five National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, with about 250 personnel, rushed to the accident site. An NDRF official said at least three people were rescued. Rescue workers used metal cutters to free people caught in their vehicles. The Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Ltd is building the 2,261-metre bridge at a cost of Rs 129 crore, officials said. The span which fell on Tuesday was laid barely three months ago, they added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, expressed grief over the deaths while the Opposition targeted the Uttar Pradesh government over the tragedy in the “top-priority constituency of the country”. The tragedy is similar to the flyover collapse in Kolkata two years back when over 25 people were killed. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced a three-member committee to probe into the accident and give its report within 48 hours. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya headed for Varanasi from Lucknow, an official spokesperson said. “Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi. I pray that the injured recover soon. Spoke to officials and asked them to ensure all possible support to those affected,” Modi tweeted. In another tweet, the prime minister said he had spoken to Adityanath. “The Uttar Pradesh government is monitoring the situation very closely and is working on the ground to assist the affected,” he said. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Governor Ram Naik and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh condoled the deaths. Opposition Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the state government, suggesting that corruption led to the tragedy. “This is the reality of development in the top-priority constituency of the country. The ministers of the state used to visit this district for regular inspections. Is this incident an accident or result of corruption? This should be told to the people of Varanasi by the state government,” the Samajwadi Party chief said. Yadav appealed to his party workers to cooperate with the administration in relief and rescue operations. The accident should be probed “honestly”, he demanded. The state government probe will be headed by Agriculture Production Commissioner Raj Pratap Singh and will include Irrigation Department head Bhupendra Singh and Jal Nigam MD Rajesh Mittal, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said. With inputs from PTI
Varanasi flyover collapse updates: 18 dead, but Yogi Adityanath claims 15 casualties, suspends 5 officials
A portion of a flyover being built by a state-run corporation collapsed on a busy road in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, killing at least 18 people as it crushed a mini bus, cars and two-wheelers.
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Names of 15 killed in tragedy
Image courtesy: Amit Singh/Team 101Reporters
Watch: Rs 300 demanded for each body after post-mortem
Jiten Kumar Rao, present outside the place where post mortem is being conducted, says that staff has been asking family members to pay Rs 300 per body. “There were four members of a family that were killed. After the post mortem, the group of people who came to claim the bodies was asked to pay Rs 300 per body. The pradhan of their village was also among the group,” he said.
Inputs by Amit Singh/Team 101Reporters
Watch: Man who lost three family members hold government responsible
Kailash Ram from Bhajipur lost three family members to the tragedy. “I was watching TV when I came to know about the incident. My wife told me to confirm if our relatives who were supposed to return home were affected,” he said. Ram’s brother was travelling with two sons during the flyover collapse. “We blame the government. When a place is under construction, the SP and the DM are responsible for ensuring that there are no people around it.
Video courtesy: Amit Singh/Team 101Reporters
District Magistrate says death toll is 11 based on the bodies recovered
Speaking to reporters, District Magistrate Yogeshwar Ram Mishra claimed that the death toll was 11 and not 15 or 18, as reported earlier. He has ordered to register an FIR against unknown persons under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.
Input by Amit Singh/Team 101Reporters
Commissioner says named FIR will be filed after probe
Commissioner Deepak Agarwal has said that the order has been given to register an FIR against UP State Bridge Corporation and said that the named FIR will be filed after the probe is complete.
“After investigation it will be clear who is clearly responsible. The panel formed by the Uttar Pradesh government will also submit their report in 48 hours,” he said.
Inputs by Amit Singh/Team 101Reporters
UP state bridge corporation was told to pace up work to complete the flyover by October
While the state government has formed a panel to look into the flyover collapse which killed over 18 on Tuesday, an official of the UP State Bridge Corporation said that the body was set to pace up the work in order to complete the flyover by October. The piece of the flyover which fell was laid two months ago and interlocking work was being done, said K R Sudan, an official of UP State Bridge Corporation.
Input: Amit Singh/101 Reporters
Watch: Yogi Adityanath says 11 dead at press conference; official record claims over 15 casualties
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Adityanath said that the state government sympathised with those who lost their family and loved ones in Tuesday’s accident. However, while reports said over 18 died in the flyover accident, Adityanath, at the presser, said “11 people died”.
Input: Amit Singh/101 Reporter
Yogi Adityanath met victims at hospital on Tuesday night
Late on Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met the victims receiving treatment at the Kabir Chaura hospital.
Four officials suspended, says reports
According to reports , four officers including Uttar Pradesh Bridge Corporation’s chief project manager, have been suspended following the flyover collapse.
State govt-formed panel at site to investigate incident
Raj Pratap Singh, member of the probe committee constituted by Uttar Pradesh government, is at the site of the incident. He refused to comment on the investigation. “Until we complete the investigation, talk to everyone and check all the records, it won’t be right to say anything,” he said. The panel has been given 2 days’ time to submit a report.
Keshav Prasad Maurya to monitor relief work; panel constituted to probe incident
Addressing a press conference on the Varanasi flyover collapse, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that he has asked Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and the concerned minister to personally monitor rescue and relief work. He said that a committee has also been constituted to probe the incident and submit a report in 48 hours.
“We have assured proper treatment for them. Maurya has taken preliminary action against responsible authorities,” ANI quoted Adityanath as saying.
Cannot tell reason of collapse till probe is done: KR Sudan, Project Manager
KR Sudan, Project Manager, says, “I cannot tell the reason of this incident till the investigation is done. Cranes are still coming, rescue operations are still underway.”
Home Minister Rajnath Singh takes stock of situation, offers condolences
Home Minister Rajnath Singh took stock of the situation in Varanasi where at least 18 people were killed when an under-construction bridge collapsed.
Culprits will not be spared: Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya
Death toll rises to 18, says NDRF personnel
All the 18 bodies have been taken out and the injured have been rushed to the hospital. Among them, two dead bodies have been identified as Sanjay Kumar and Rakesh Kumar. Meanwhile, Deputy chief minister KP Maurya has reached Varanasi and has told media that culprits will not be spared.- Input by Amit Singh
Images of rescue operations from the site
Press note from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s office
325 NDRF workers are helping in rescue operations
Around 325 NDRF workers are helping in the rescue operations. NHAI workers have also reached for the rescue operation along with cranes. One injured, who was taken to the hospital, has succumbed to his injuries. – Input by Amit Singh
ADG Crime UP, Shri Chandra Prakash, addressed media on flyover collapse
Six bodies recovered; none identified yet
Six dead bodies, including one of a woman, have been recovered from the spot. No one could be identified.- Input by Mridula Srivastava
Akhilesh Yadav says govt has to answer whether the incident is an accident or a result of corruption
Rescue workers at work at the site
Video by Amit Singh
Uttar Pradesh Police requests people to stay away from accident site
Varanasi District Administration may take help from the army for the rescue operation
The District Magistrate office said the Varanasi District Administration may take help from the army for the rescue operation. Inputs by Mridula Srivastava
Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav asks party members to reach the spot and help people
16 bodies recovered, 3 safely rescued: Relief commissioner
Relief Commissioner Sanjay Kumar says 16 bodies have been recovered while three people have been safely rescued.- ANI
Fallen piece has not yet been moved; people still trapped under it
The fallen piece could not be moved yet and people are still trapped under that. There are around 12 cranes at the spot but only 8 have been pressed into service. A few of the people injured in the accident have been taken to Cancer hospital but the hospital is not equipped to handle such trauma cases. Meanwhile, boys from the Banaras Hindu University have reached the spot to help people. – Input by Amit Singh
People help in rescue operations at the site
BHU trauma centre preparing to receive critically injured
Image courtesy: Amit Singh
Girder flipped from crane while being adjusted: Eyewitness
According to an eyewitness, the girder flipped from the crane while being adjusted on the pillars. There was no diversion on the road and no arrangement of services like ambulance and safety at the site.According to an officer of UP State Bridge Corporation, the interlocking workwas underway when the accident happened arounbd 6 pm.- Input by Amit Singh
Document of probe ordered by the Yogi Adityanath government – Saurabh Sharma, 101Reporters
Yogi Adityanath sets up three-member committee to probe incident
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath sets up three-member committee to probe flyover collapse, says official- PTI
Flyover was being built by UP State Bridge Corporation
This flyover was being constructed by Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation and was supposed to be inaugurated last December. According to DM Yogeshwar Ram Mishra, five teams of NDRF have been deployed for the rescue.Police says one city bus, five cars, two auto rickshaws and many motorcycles are under the debris. The NDRF has rescued five critically injured people. (Inputs by Amit Singh)
Yogi Adityanath announces compensation of Rs 5 lakh for kin of those dead, Rs 2 lakh for injured
An image of a car trapped under the collapsed flyover- Image courtesy: Amit Singh
Cantt hospital evacuated for the injured
Police force of 9 police stations are at the site and wards of Cantt hospital and district hospital have been evacuated for the injured. –Input by Amit Singh
Narendra Modi offers condolences over loss of lives, says UP govt monitoring situation