Kolkata Flyover collapse

Angry, Shocked & Heartbroken! Yes these are the reactions of everybody who has seen it, heard it, witnessed it or luckily escaped it!

Just a matter of second and it took so many lives, hopes & created one of the saddest days in country's history. Who is to blame here? The Municipal body or the local government? The Construction Company? The left? Or God?

Vivekananda flyover was under construction in the Girish Park area. The flyover along Kali Krishna Tagore Street, overlooked the Ganesh Talkies crossing. This 1.2 miles, Rs 164-crore flyover project in Kolkata which was supposed to be completed in less than two years, started in 2009, got delayed 9 times and still wasn't complete in a span of 7 years. Several deadlines were missed in construction, but recently it speeded-up on account of upcoming state elections.

The flyover collapsed at around 12:25 PM on 31^st March, 2016 crushing many pedestrians as well as vehicles. The flyover was under construction and neither was there restriction nor control over the traffic flow at the construction area, resulting in several people trapped/crushed to death. The army has been trying to rescue people trapped, and so are state services.

The builder has claimed that it was an "act of god" which is utter nonsense. It is a clear act of inefficient, uncoordinated administration, hasty incompetent work, and a clear case of corruption. No matter how much certain people describe the pool of blood created and the loss of lives as "God's Act", FIR has been filed against the builders.

I hope an investigation is carried out, and all causes emerge. What it also does is put the BJP central government in the spot! Specifically, how it's going to deal with the Hyderabad based Construction Company, which had the temerity to say "it was an act of God" instead of owning up to their responsibility for shoddy engineering.

Mamata Banerjee’s very first statement was an effort to shift the blame on to the Left, claiming the contract had been handed during the Left rule. She also announced a compensation of Rs.5 lakh to the families of the dead and Rs.2 lakh each for those critically injured as well as Rs.1 lakh for those who suffered minor injuries. No amount of money can replace a closed one. The question, however, still remains the same - "Is life really this cheap in our country?" Really shameful!

Praying for speedy recovery of all victims. Truly saddened and absolutely enraged.