WB CM Mamata Banerjee forms committee to probe Majherhat bridge collapse
Kolkata, Sept 6 (IBNS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced the formation of a committee to probe the Majherhat bridge collapse incident, which claimed three lives and injured 20 odd people.
After the conclusion of an emergency meeting at Nabanna, the state secretariat, Mamata said the probe will be headed by the Chief Secretary.
An investigating and monitoring cell has also been formed.
"Strict actions will be taken against the guilty people," the Chief Minister said.
A nearly 200 feet block of a major bridge over a railway track collapsed on Majherhat canal beside railway tracks on Tuesday.
Several private cars and motorcycles, three app based cabs and one minibus fell down with the wreckage.
Local police, state fire and emergency services officials, Disaster Management Group (DMG) personnel, a unit of NDRF and a team from the Indian Army joined the rescue operation after the collapse of the bridge and continued to work till Thursday morning.
For the time being, all metro works are stopped and police have been directed to clear the area under Majherhat bridge.
Maintaining her stand, Mamata on Thursday too partially blamed the metro construction works as the reason behind the accident.
Reiterating her words which she said a day ago, the Chief Minister said local people were complaining about the vibrations caused due to the metro works.
However, the Eastern Railway authorities have already denied that the bridge collapsed owing to the impact of their construction work for metro.
When asked for a reaction to the Eastern Railway's statement, Mamata said: "How can they say so quickly even within 12 hours since the occurrence of the accident? Are they so smart?"
Three people who had died are Soumen Bag, a resident of Behala, Pranab De, a metro construction worker and 42-year old Gautam Mondal.
A day after a portion of Majherhat railway over bridge (ROB) collapsed, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted permission to an advocate to lodge a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) into the disaster while the city police has registered a suo motu FIR against the bridge's maintenance agencies, reports said.
The Chief Minister announced compensation amounts of Rs. 5 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs, 50,000 for the injured people.
Image: Facebook page of Mamata Banerjee
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