View source for 2016 Kolkata flyover collapse

{{short description|Disaster in Kolkata which occurred on 31 March 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox event
|title = 2016 Kolkata flyover collapse
|image = Kolkata overpass collapse location.png
|caption = Kolkata flyover collapse location
|date = {{start date|2016|03|31|df=yes}}
|location = [[Girish Park]], [[Kolkata]], [[India]]
|coordinates = {{Coord|22.586367|N|88.358256|E|display=inline,title}}
|reported deaths = 27
|reported injuries = 80
}}

On 31 March 2016, a {{convert|150|m|abbr=on}} steel span of the under-construction Vivekananda Road [[Overpass|flyover]] in the [[Girish Park]] neighbourhood of [[Kolkata]], [[India]], collapsed. 27  people died and 50 more were injured in the accident.

==Background==
The construction for the {{convert|2.2|km|adj=on}} Vivekananda Road flyover was contracted in 2008 and began in 2009. [[IVRCL]], a construction firm based in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], won the bid for the project.<ref name="news1">{{cite news|title=Rush job on delayed flyover kills 21 in Kolkata, many still feared trapped under rubble|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Kolkata-flyover-collapse-Rush-job-on-delayed-flyover-kills-21/articleshow/51639703.cms|newspaper=[[Times of India]]|date=1 April 2016|access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> The construction was scheduled to be completed in 2010 but overshot the deadline multiple times.<ref name="news1" /> IVRCL was given an 18-month deadline by the [[Chief Minister of West Bengal]], [[Mamata Banerjee]], to complete the flyover by February 2016 and allocated a budget of nearly {{INRconvert|165|c}} but only about 60 percent of the work was completed.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news|url=http://in.reuters.com/article/india-collapse-kolkata-flyover-idINKCN0WX0S2|title=Police file homicide case after Kolkata flyover collapse kills 23|publisher=[[Reuters]]|date=1 April 2016|access-date=2 April 2016|first=Supriyo|last=Hazra}}</ref><ref name="NDTV">{{cite news|url=http://www.ndtv.com/cheat-sheet/kolkata-flyover-collapse-2-more-bodies-recovered-26-dead-1306786|title=Kolkata Flyover Collapse: 26 Dead As One More Body Recovered From Debris|publisher=[[NDTV]]|date=2 April 2016|access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref> As of March 2015, IVRCL had a debt of {{INRconvert|4055|c}} and reported losses of {{INRconvert|672|c}}.<ref name="NDTV"/> In December 2015, a consortium of banks that had lent to the company took over the company and it was banned from doing business in [[Uttar Pradesh]] and several other [[States and union territories of India|Indian states]].<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/02/world/asia/kolkata-collapse-india-overpass.html|title=Construction Firm Charged in India Overpass Collapse|first1=Nida|last1=Najar|first2=Hari|last2=Kumar|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=1 April 2016|access-date=2 April 2016}}</ref>

On 30 March 2016, one day before the collapse, concrete was laid on the bridge.<ref name="Reuters"/> Just hours before the collapse, construction workers were reported to have heard a cracking noise from the [[cantilever]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Bagchi|first=Suvojit|title=Workers heard cracking noise|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/workers-heard-cracking-noise/article8423585.ece|access-date=2 April 2016|date=1 April 2016|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>

==Incident==
At 12:40 pm [[Indian Standard Time|IST]] on 31 March 2016, the bridge collapsed, trapping many pedestrians and vehicles underneath. The incident took place at the busy [[Rabindra Sarani]] – [[K K Tagore]] road crossing.<ref name=news1/> 27 people were killed and at least 80 others were injured.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/kolkata-bridge-collapse-toll-reaches-27-after-rescue-workers-pull-out-3-more-bodies-1224481.html|title=Kolkata bridge collapse: Toll reaches 27 after rescue workers pull out 3 more bodies|publisher=CNN-IBN|date=2 April 2016|access-date=3 April 2016}}</ref> More than 90 people had been pulled from the rubble, but as of 1 April 2016, over 100 people were still unaccounted for.<ref name="NDTV"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Kolkata Tragedy: 25 Dead As Under-Construction Flyover Collapses On Busy Road |url=http://www.tehelka.com/2016/04/under-construction-flyover-collapses-on-busy-traffic-in-kolkata-toll-climbs-to-25/ |work=Tehelka |accessdate=1 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413133524/http://www.tehelka.com/2016/04/under-construction-flyover-collapses-on-busy-traffic-in-kolkata-toll-climbs-to-25/ |archive-date=13 April 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[National Disaster Response Force]] (NDRF) worked in relief operations with police and other security personnel {{vague|date=April 2016}}.  Many photographs and videos were quickly posted on social media platforms.<ref name="ie">{{cite news|title=Kolkata flyover collapse: Left claims govt ‘stopped us, allowed RSS’ to engage in rescue operations|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/kolkata-flyover-collapse-left-claims-govt-stopped-us-allowed-rss-to-engage-in-rescue-operations/|accessdate=5 April 2016|agency=Indian Express}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
On 1 April 2016, the construction company IVRCL was charged with murder, under section 302 of the [[Indian Penal Code]]. The police detained five IVRCL officials in [[Kolkata]] and two in [[Hyderabad]], and sealed off IVRCL's local office in [[Kolkata]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Kolkata bridge builder charged with murder, police question IVRCL officials|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/kolkata-bridge-builder-charged-with-murder-5-ivrcl-employees-detained-1224002.html|work=IBNLive|date=1 April 2016|access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> The firm called the collapse an "accident", with one IVRCL official describing it as an "[[act of god]]".<ref>{{cite news|title=Kolkata flyover collapse an accident, says IVRCL|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/kolkata-flyover-collapse-an-accident-builder-ivrcl-says/article8422703.ece|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=1 April 2016|access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> The shares of the company fell 11.7% the day after the disaster.<ref name="Reuters"/> Sixty-two families living in buildings near the accident site were asked to vacate temporarily for the safe removal of collapsed [[debris]].<ref name="NDTV1">{{cite news|url=http://www.ndtv.com/cheat-sheet/24-dead-in-kolkata-flyover-collapse-90-pulled-out-in-all-night-rescue-10-developments-1292824|title=Bengal Suspends 2 Engineers, Arrests 3 Over Kolkata Flyover Collapse|first=Monideepa|last=Banerjie|date=1 April 2016|access-date=1 April 2016|publisher=[[NDTV]]}}</ref> In a letter sent to [[Bombay Stock Exchange|BSE]], IVRCL claimed that the design of the flyover was done by a reputed consulting firm of Kolkata.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

==Potential causes==
Anandapran Gupta, former head of the department of civil engineering at [[IIT KGP]] stated that his investigating committee found defects in multiple aspects of the flyover construction including design, construction, raw materials and supervision.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/All-are-at-fault-says-IIT-report-on-Kolkata-flyover-collapse/article14564572.ece  All are at fault, says IIT report on Kolkata flyover collapse, The Hindu,  AUGUST 12]</ref> Biranchi  Acharya, an experienced construction professional, claimed that the main cause was the failure of a pier cap which brought down two spans supported over it. Some flaws either in joints of pier cap or unwanted eccentric loading may have been responsible.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.merinews.com/article/possible-reasons-of-kolkata-flyover-collapse-a-technical-analysis/15914975.shtml |title=Possible reasons of Kolkata flyover collapse: A technical analysis, Biranchi Narayan Acharya, MeriNews April 1, 2016 |access-date=16 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711090144/http://www.merinews.com/article/possible-reasons-of-kolkata-flyover-collapse-a-technical-analysis/15914975.shtml |archive-date=11 July 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Reaction==
The Chief Minister of [[West Bengal]], [[Mamata Banerjee]], rushed to oversee the post-crash relief and rescue operation, and made a statement accusing the previous left-wing government for the disaster.<ref name=news2>{{cite news|title=24 Dead In Kolkata Flyover Collapse, 90 Pulled Out In All-Night Rescue: 10 Developments|url=http://www.ndtv.com/cheat-sheet/24-dead-in-kolkata-flyover-collapse-90-pulled-out-in-all-night-rescue-10-developments-1292824|publisher=[[NDTV]]|date=1 April 2016|access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> The previous state government, headed by the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|Communist Party of India (M)]], stated that the portion of the flyover that collapsed was built during the current government's tenure.<ref name=news3>{{cite news|title=Kolkata flyover collapse: TMC, Left, Cong fight for political mileage|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/kolkata-flyover-collapse-tmc-left-cong-fight-for-political-mileage/story-stBOcFZQ5rrnKAbxFQVwwI.html|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|date=1 April 2016|access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> Minister of State for Urban Development, [[Babul Supriyo]], remarked that the construction work of the flyover was carried on in an unscientific manner and "the state administration did not take any lesson even after the collapse of [[Ultadanga]] flyover three years ago".<ref name=news3/> The legal advisor to IVRCL, Sheela Peddinti, said "The glass was shattered. It could have been a blast."<ref name="NDTV1"/>

The vice-president of the [[Indian National Congress]], [[Rahul Gandhi]], visited the injured and the site of the accident. He refused to make any political statements. Later, he incidentally raised the issue at rallies and accused the ruling party, [[Trinamool Congress]] of negligence.<ref name="ie2">{{cite news|title=Rahul Gandhi meets victims of Kolkata flyover collapse, says he won’t give a political statement|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/kolkata-flyover-collapse-rahul-gandhi-its-a-tragedy-wont-give-a-political-statement/|accessdate=5 April 2016|work=The Indian Express|date=3 April 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[2018 Kolkata bridge collapse]]
* [[Cable Bridge Surat#Incident|2014 Surat Flyover collapse during Construction]]
* [[Concerns and controversies over the 2010 Commonwealth Games#Infrastructural compromise|2010 Commonwealth Games footbridge collapse in Delhi]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Disasters in India in 2016}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=2016 disasters in India, Bridge disasters in India, 2016 road incidents, 2010s in Kolkata, Disasters in West Bengal, Construction accidents, March 2016 events in India
|description=
}}

[[Category:2016 disasters in India]]
[[Category:Bridge disasters in India]]
[[Category:2016 road incidents]]
[[Category:2010s in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Disasters in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Construction accidents]]
[[Category:March 2016 events in India]]