At least 18 people were killed after a portion of an under-construction flyover collapsed in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Tuesday. Two pillars of the flyover collapsed in the city’s Cantt area, bringing a huge slab of concrete down, crushing cars and a local bus under it.
Nine vehicles, including a bus, two SUVs, two cars, auto and two-wheelers lay in a twisted, mangled heap, triggering panic and chaos in the peak evening hours.
Before the NDRF arrived, it was local slum dwellers who swung into action after hearing the thud and cries of passengers writhing in pain on the busy street. Many eye-witnesses claimed rescue operations began after an hour and many of those trapped under the rubble died.
Three people were pulled out of the debris. Many of those trapped were reported to be labourers who were working on the flyover. Eight cranes were used to lift the debris and a crane with a 200-tonne lifting capacity is also being called in.
The twin beams were mounted on pillar No. 79 and 80, just a week back and were left unsecured without locks. When the slabs came crashing down, labourers and the contractor at the site fled the scene.
CM Yogi Adityanath has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh for critically injured.
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