India flyover collapse kills 10, 150 feared trapped

At least 10 people were killed in the Indian city of Kolkata on Thursday and 150 were feared trapped when a flyover under construction collapsed onto traffic moving along the street below, police said.

Firefighters and residents were trying with their bare hands to rescue those trapped under the wreckage of the metal-and-cement structure that came down near Girish Park in a teeming commercial district.

Television footage from the scene showed a hand reaching out from under what appeared to be a massive girder. People were desperately clearing debris and searching for survivors pinned underneath, as ambulances arrived at the scene.

“There was a loud sound which scared us. The concrete had been laid last night at this part of the bridge. I am lucky as I was planning to go downstairs to have juice when I was thinking about it, I saw that the bridge collapsed. Scores of people have been killed,” said one resident, Ramesh Kejriwal.

“There were numerous people standing under the bridge. Be it rickshaws or taxis, everything was buried,” added Mridul, another resident.

A police officer at the scene said no one had any clue how many people were actually trapped.

There was little sign of a coordinated rescue operation, with access for heavy lifting equipment restricted by the proximity of buildings on either side of the flyover and heavy traffic.

The flyover has been under construction since 2009 and has missed several deadlines for completion.

Construction projects in India have long been plagued by lax safety standards.