Kolkata flyover collapse: Death toll rises to 26

Kolkata: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General O.P. Singh on Saturday told ANI that the death toll in the flyover collapse in North Kolkata rose to 26.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi earlier today met the injured people and the families of the victims of the flyover collapse incident that took place in Girish Park area here.

After meeting with the injured at the Kolkata Medical College, Gandhi described it as a great tragedy and urged the people to provide necessary support to them.

The state government had earlier announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs. five lakh to next of kin of the victims and Rs. two lakh to gravely injured people.More than hundred people have got injured in the under-construction bridge collapse.

The Hyderabad-based construction company IVRCL, which was constructing the flyover, said that the unfortunate incident was an accident and maintained that it was beyond anyone`s control.

Five employees of the company have been detained in Kolkata and two in Hyderabad.

The military and NDRF teams, which were rushed to carry out relief and rescue efforts, used heavy earth movers and gas cutting paraphernalia to complete the operation.

The rescue operations were completed yesterday.