by Peerzada Arshad Hamid
NEW DELHI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and 19 others injured Tuesday after a portion of a 40-year-old bridge collapsed in eastern Indian state of West Bengal, local media said.
Officials have not yet confirmed the casualty figures.
The overpass known as Majerhat bridge collapsed near the Majerhat railway station in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
"A section of a bridge in a busy area of posh south Kolkata came crashing down this afternoon, triggering shock across the city. Many people are feared trapped underneath, some still in their vehicles. One person was killed and 19 were injured and they have been shifted to the hospital," a media report said.
Following the incident, authorities rushed ambulances, disaster management response force personnel and heavy machinery to the spot to carry out rescue work.
Television images showed several cars, two-wheelers and buses on the caved in portion of the bridge.
Eyewitnesses said several vehicles were trapped under the debris and several people were feared to be trapped.
Authorities have dispatched paramilitary and army personnel to the spot to assist in the rescue efforts.
"We are constantly monitoring the situation. We are initiating a probe so that everything can be found out and we are taking steps on an emergency basis to rescue those who are trapped," said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is on a visit to Darjeeling.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident unfortunate.
"The collapse of a part of a bridge in Kolkata is deeply unfortunate. My thoughts are with the families of the victims. I pray that those who are injured recover at the earliest," Modi said in a statement.
In 2016, at least 26 people were killed when an under construction flyover collapsed in the city.
Deadly accidents due to failing infrastructure is common in India. Experts attribute it to lax administration, corruption, the use of poor quality materials, inadequate supervision, and poor safety standards for workers.
