2018 Kolkata bridge collapse

Last updated

2018 Kolkata bridge collapse
Date4 September 2018;6 years ago (2018-09-04)
Location Alipore, Kolkata, India
Coordinates 22°31′05″N88°19′23″E / 22.518°N 88.323°E / 22.518; 88.323
Deaths3 [1]
Non-fatal injuries25 [1]

The 2018 Kolkata bridge collapse refers to the collapse of the Majerhat Bridge, in the city of Kolkata, India, on 4 September 2018. [2] [3] The bridge collapsed at around 4:45 PM (IST), resulting in the death of three people injuries to at least 25 others. [4] [1] [5] [6]

Contents

Majerhat Bridge

Newly constructed cabled-stayed Majerhat Road Over Bridge reopened after two years Newly constructed cabled-stayed Majerhat Road Over Bridge reopened after two years DSCN9685.jpg
Newly constructed cabled-stayed Majerhat Road Over Bridge reopened after two years

Majerhat Bridge is located at Majerhat, Alipore, a neighbourhood of South Kolkata. [7] It was a major arterial road (Diamond Harbour Road) in the area connecting the southern suburbs to other parts of the city via Behala. [7] [1] [4] It is also part of National Highway 12. [7]

Majerhat railway station is located beside the bridge. There is an adjacent Majerhat metro station for Kolkata Metro Line 3. The bridge crosses the Indian Railways Sealdah South local rail network from Sealdah to Budge Budge as well as the Kolkata Circular Railway lines.

Background

There has been concern around the time of the accident that in Kolkata, and in wider India, proper road maintenance was not being undertaken. [8] This incident was the third bridge collapse in Kolkata in six years. [7] On 4 March 2013, part of a flyover in Ultadanga had also collapsed. [7] On 31 March 2016, part of an under-construction flyover had collapsed in central Kolkata's busy Girish Park area. [9] [7] 27 people had died in the tragedy, leaving 80 people gravely injured. [10]

There had been reported concerns about Majerhat Bridge itself. At the time of the collapse the bridge was apparently over 50 years old. [7] In 2010, the Majerhat Bridge had undergone repairs for subsidence. [11] An audit in 2016 flagged the bridge as unsafe. [12] Concerns had been raised in 2018 by police, commuters and nearby residents stemming from visible cracks appearing in the structure. [12]

Incident

The bridge caved in around 4:45 PM. Videos from the locality showed a portion of the bridge resting on the street below including at least nine vehicles, including a minibus, stuck on it. [9]

Deaths

Rescue efforts

The rescue effort was started by the Kolkata Police, an Indian Army unit from Fort William and five special disaster management teams of the NDRF [15] after the mishap. [16] Injured people were sent to nearby SSKM, CMRI and Vidyasagar hospitals for treatment. [17]

Aftermath

After the collapse, Eastern Railways suspended train services via Majerhat railway station on the Kolkata Circular Railway and Sealdah-Budge Budge lines. [18] Widespread road traffic disruption ensued as the bridge was a major route for vehicles moving between north and south Kolkata. [18] [19]

The Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee asked Chief Secretary Moloy Kumar De to hold an investigation committee into the collapse. [6] She had noted that 20 bridges in the city were at risk of collapse. [6] [20] A Times of India article on 7 September 2018 noted that the Public Works Department has admitted that urgent repairs had not been carried out properly, it was noted that patchwork repairs were carried out on the bridge, adding layers of bitumen, and therefore weight, rather than a thorough repair. [20] The collapse led to a rising distrust among the public regarding the safety of bridges in India. [8]

The safety of bridges in West Bengal has further come under scrutiny, as there have been 3 bridge collapses in September 2018 alone. [21]

Preliminary results of investigations suggest that pollution and poor maintenance contributed to the bridge collapse. [22] [23] Accusations that Metro construction had led to bridge collapse were felt to be unfounded. [22] [23] There have been reports that repairs were hastily completed with claims that "a month's work was done in one night". [24]

Old Majerhat bridge replacement called Jai Hind Setu Majerhat metro station, majerhat railway station and Majerhat bridge tour 38.jpg
Old Majerhat bridge replacement called Jai Hind Setu

The state public works department (PWD) has undertaken a complete tear down of the old bridge and reconstruction of a new bridge at the same location and is aiming to commission the new bridge in November 2020. [25] The new bridge was opened on 4 December 2020. [26] It was named the Jai Hind Bridge after the Jai Hind slogan used by Subhas Chandra Bose, commemorating his 125th birthday anniversary. [27]

Later Majerhat metro station was also completed and opened on 6th March 2024. [28]

Reactions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sealdah railway station</span> Railway station in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Sealdah Railway Station is one of India's major railway terminals serving the city of Kolkata. It is the second largest railway station in India and West Bengal in terms of platforms, tracks and overall daily passenger holding capacity. The other main railway stations in the Kolkata metropolitan area are Howrah, Shalimar, Kolkata and Santragachi. Over 1.5 million passengers use the station daily. It is an important suburban rail terminal. Kolkata Metro Line 2 passes through Sealdah with the new underground Sealdah metro station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata Metro</span> Rapid transit system in Kolkata, India

The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the Kolkata Metropolitan Region in West Bengal, India. Opening in 1984, it was the first operational rapid transit system in India, besides being the second busiest and fourth-longest metro network in India. As of March 2024, it has four operational lines: the 32.13 km (19.96 mi) Line 1 from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash, 14.1 km (8.8 mi) Line 2 from Salt Lake Sector V to Howrah Maidan, 7.75 km (4.82 mi) Line 3 from Joka to Majerhat and 5.4 km (3.4 mi) Line 6 from Kavi Subhash to Hemanta Mukherjee for a total of 59.38 km (36.90 mi). Two other lines are in various phases of construction and planning. The system has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using both broad-gauge and standard-gauge tracks. Trains operate between 06:55 and 22:30 IST and the fares range from ₹5 to ₹50.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata Suburban Railway</span> Rail system in Kolkata, India

The Kolkata Suburban Railway is a set of suburban and regional rail services serving the Kolkata metropolitan area and its surroundings in India. It is the largest suburban railway network in the country by number of stations and track length, and also one of the largest in the world. There are five main lines and nineteen branch lines. It operates more than 1,500 services, carrying 3.5 million people daily and 1.2 billion people every year. It runs from 03:00 am until 02:00 am and fares range from Rs.5 to Rs.25. The system uses 25 kV 50 Hz AC power supply and runs on 5 ft 6 in broad gauge track. It has interchange stations with the Kolkata Metro at various locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Kolkata</span>

The transport system of Kolkata, a city in India, is a mix of modern mass rapid transport and old transport modalities like rickshaws. Kolkata is connected to the rest of India by the National Highways, the extensive network of the Indian Railways, National Waterways and by air. The most traffic to Northeast India route is via Kolkata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata Circular Railway</span> Railway line in Kolkata

Kolkata Circular Railway, also known as the Kolkata Chakra Rail, is a 36.20 km (22.49 mi) long railway loop line operated by the Sealdah division of the Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways, encircling the city of Kolkata.

Kolkata Monorail was a rail-based transit project planned for the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. This was the first proposed monorail in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata Metro Line 2</span> Transit line in Kolkata, India

Kolkata Metro Line 2, also known as the East-West Metro and Green Line, is a rapid transit line of the Kolkata Metro in the Indian state of West Bengal. It currently consists of two distinctly operational sections between Salt Lake Sector-V and Sealdah, and Esplanade and Howrah Maidan by going underneath the Hooghly River, with an eastern extension planned for Teghoria. It will cover a distance of 32.11 km (19.95 mi) and consist of 17 stations from Teghoria (Haldiram) in the east to Howrah Maidan in the west, of which it will consist of 11 elevated and 6 underground stations, and the operational section consists of 6 elevated and 6 underground stations, with a total distance of 22 km (14 mi). It is expected to derive a very high ridership, since it will connect India's two largest commuter railway and long-distance railway terminals, Howrah and Sealdah, along with two of its largest business districts, BBD Bagh and Salt Lake Sector V. At present, more than 100,000 passengers commute through the line every day, and this figure is expected to go up to 1 million after it gets fully completed by 2035. It will also connect the industrial hub of Kolkata, i.e., Howrah and the IT hub of Kolkata, i.e., Salt Lake Sector-V. It connects Line 1 at Esplanade and will eventually connect Lines 3 and 6.

Sealdah South section consists of a set of four lines which connect the Sealdah South station in Kolkata with its southern suburbs and with the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. It is a part of the Kolkata Suburban Railway and is under the jurisdiction of the Sealdah railway division of the Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata railway station</span> Railway Station in West Bengal, India

Kolkata railway station is the newest of the six intercity railway stations serving Howrah and Kolkata, West Bengal, India, the others are Sealdah station in Kolkata and Howrah Junction, Dankuni Junction, Shalimar station and Santragachi Junction on western banks of the Hooghly river. Kolkata station is situated in the Chitpur locality of North Kolkata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dum Dum Junction railway station</span> Railway Junction Station in West Bengal, India

Dum Dum Junction is a very important and busy junction station of the Kolkata Suburban Railway on the Sealdah–Ranaghat line. Its code is DDJ. Three lines branch out from Dum Dum in the north direction–the Kolkata Eastern line to Gede, the Calcutta chord line to Dankuni and the Sealdah–Hasnabad–Bangaon–Ranaghat line to Bangaon and Hasnabad. On the other hand, in the south direction, those three lines go towards Sealdah, while the Kolkata Circular Railway line arises from it towards Patipukur, and also ends to it through Bidhannagar Road after encircling the city of Kolkata through various important stations like Kolkata railway station and Majerhat. The Dum Dum metro station of the Blue line is adjacent to Dum Dum railway station. It serves Dum Dum, Paikpara, Sinthee, Cossipore, Baranagar and other surrounding areas in Kolkata.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majerhat railway station</span> Railway Station in West Bengal, India

Majerhat railway station is a Kolkata Suburban Railway Station on the Budge Budge Branch line with an approximate 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) distance from the Sealdah railway station. It is under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Railway zone of Indian Railways. Majerhat railway station is one of the busiest railway stations in the Sealdah railway division. More than 45 pairs of EMU local trains pass through the railway station on a daily basis. It is situated in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. Majerhat railway station serves Majerhat and the surrounding areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sealdah railway division</span> Railway division in West Bengal, India

Sealdah railway division is one of the four railway divisions under the Eastern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Its headquarters is located in Kaiser Street in Kolkata, West Bengal near the Sealdah railway station. Geographically the division covers the railway tracks and services in the areas between the Hooghly river on the west, Bangladesh on the north and east and the Sundarbans in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata Metro Line 3</span> Transit line in Kolkata, India

Kolkata Metro Line 3 or the Purple Line is a line of the Kolkata Metro. The 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) stretch from Joka to Taratala of the 15.08 kilometres (9.37 mi) line was inaugurated on 30 December 2022 before being extended to Majerhat on 6 March 2024. The route will span 15.08 kilometres (9.37 mi) from Joka in the south, to Esplanade in the north with a future extension of 3.39 kilometres (2.11 mi) to Diamond Park from Joka. It will connect Kolkata Metro Line 1 at Park Street in central Kolkata and run in parallel up to Esplanade in central Kolkata where it will connect Kolkata Metro Line 2 also. Line 3 is being built by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolkata Metro Line 6</span> Transit line in Kolkata, India

Kolkata Metro Line 6 or the Orange Line of the Kolkata Metro, in the Indian state of West Bengal, is a rapid transit line that will connect New Garia with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport via two satellite towns Salt Lake and New Town. It currently operates between Kavi Subhash and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay. This stretch will be one of the most important stretches of the metro because it will connect the southern and the eastern parts of the city with Kolkata Airport. The total distance of this route will be 29.87 km (18.56 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girish Park</span> Neighbourhood in Kolkata in West Bengal, India

Girish Park is a neighbourhood of North Kolkata in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. it is named after famous Bengali Theatre personnel Girish Chandra Ghosh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majerhat metro station</span> Metro station in Kolkata, India

Majerhat metro station is an operational metro station on Line 3 of Kolkata Metro. It is the terminal station of the first phase 1 of this line and the first and only station built over an existing railway network, from Joka to Majerhat. The line was sanctioned in India's railway budget of 2010–11, but due to various hurdles, construction was delayed and missed multiple deadlines. The most notable reason for delays was the Majerhat Bridge collapse in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taratala metro station</span> Kolkata Metros Purple Line metro station

Taratala is the elevated northern metro station on the Purple Line of Kolkata Metro which is located in the Taratala area of southern Kolkata, West Bengal, India. This station is named after the locality in which the station is located. The station is elevated above Diamond Harbour Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behala Bazar metro station</span> Kolkata Metros Purple Line metro station

Behala Bazar is an elevated metro station on the North-South corridor of the Purple Line of Kolkata Metro which is located in Behala Bazar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. This station was commissioned on 30 December 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behala Chowrasta metro station</span> Kolkata Metros Purple Line metro station

Behala Chowrasta is an elevated metro station on the North-South corridor of the Purple Line of Kolkata Metro in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is located exactly above the Behala Chowrasta intersection on Diamond Harbour Road / NH-12. It was opened in the first phase of this line. The station was commissioned on 30 December 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunlop, Kolkata</span> Neighbourhood in Baranagar of West Bengal, India

Dunlop is a neighbourhood in Baranagar of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 PTI, PTI (4 September 2018). "Bridge in busy Kolkata locality collapses, one killed – Times of India". The Times of India. PTI. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. ↑ "India bridge collapse: Many feared dead as major Kolkata bridge collapses during rush hour". Retrieved 4 September 2018
  3. ↑ "Kolkata's Majerhat bridge collapses, rescue operation underway", Indian Express. Retrieved 4 September 2018
  4. 1 2 "Many feared trapped in Majerhat Kolkata bridge collapse". Hindustan Times . 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "Kolkata Majerhat Bridge Collapse Live Updates". indianexpress.com. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Kolkata bridge collapse death toll rises to three". The Hindu. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kolkata bridge collapse: Search operations continue for survivors". TOI. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Kolkata Majerhat Bridge collapse: What's wrong with India's bridges?". Times of India. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  9. 1 2 Sanyal, Anindita (4 September 2018). "Second Bridge Collapse in 3 Years in Kolkata, One Dead: 10 Points". NDTV.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  10. ↑ News18, News18. "Kolkata bridge collapse: Toll reaches 27 after rescue workers pull out 3 more bodies". News18. Retrieved 4 September 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "After Taratala crack, subsidence in Majerhat bridge". Times of India. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 Ghosh, Dwaipayan; Konar, Debasis (5 September 2018). "Kolkata bridge collapse: PWD ignored multiple red flags". Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  13. ↑ "Crushing timing: bridge cash flows". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "No room for repairs, complains Mamata". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  15. 1 2 "Kolkata's Majerhat bridge collapse Higlights: Five NDRF team rush to spot". Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  16. ↑ "1 Dead in South Kolkata Bridge Collapse". ndtv.com. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  17. ↑ "Kolkata: Tales of tragedy and miracle from crash site". Times of India. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  18. 1 2 "Majherhat bridge collapse sends road traffic haywire, train services hit". Times of India. PTI. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  19. ↑ "Collapse effect: Rattle of a ride on alternative routes – Times of India". The Times of India. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  20. 1 2 "Majerhat bridge: PWD owns up, says should have avoided repair shortcuts". The Times of India. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  21. ↑ Konar, Debasis (24 September 2018). "Under-construction bridge collapses in West Bengal". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  22. 1 2 Ghosh, Dwaipayan (11 September 2018). "Majerhat bridge: Forensics blame it on maintenance but cops pursue Metro piling angle – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  23. 1 2 Mandal, Sanjay (16 September 2018). "Crash blame on pollution, flab". telegraphindia.com. Telegraph India. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  24. ↑ Saran, Mekhala (4 September 2018). "Majerhat Bridge Was Hastily Repaired: Month's Work Done in a Night". The Quint. The Quint. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  25. ↑ Ajanta Chakraborty (1 March 2020). "Kolkata: Majerhat bridge looks at November completion". The Times of India. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  26. ↑ "2 yrs after Majerhat tragedy, CM opens new-look 'Jai Hind' bridge". The Statesman. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  27. ↑ "To mark Subhas Chandra Bose's 125th birth anniversary, new Majerhat bridge named 'Jai Hind'". CNBC-TV18. 2 December 2020. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  28. ↑ "Bangla News, Latest Bengali News, News in Bangla, বাংলা নিউজ – HT Bangla". Hindustantimes Bangla (in Bengali). Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  29. ↑ "Portion of Kolkata's prominent Majerhat Bridge collapses, many feared trapped". Retrieved 4 September 2018
  30. ↑ "Majerhat bridge collapse: Blame game begins over Kolkata mishap as Opposition alleges 'callousness' towards maintenance". 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  31. ↑ "Kolkata's Majerhat bridge collapse | Updates: One killed, at least six trapped under debris". The Hindu. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.