Rahul Gandhi Visits Kolkata Flyover Collapse Site, Says 'Won't Talk Politics'

Kolkata: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is in Kolkata today and visited the site where an under-construction flyover collapsed on Thursday and left 26 people dead. He also visited those injured in the accident at a hospital.

 "I came to the hospital and gave them (those injured) my support. It is a tragedy and I do not want to talk anything related to politics here," he told reporters.

Mr Gandhi is scheduled to address three rallies in poll-bound West Bengal today. The state goes to polls over six phases beginning Monday. Campaigning for the first phase ends today. Counting of votes will be done on May 19.

Three employees of the company building the flyover were arrested in the city late on Friday evening.
In its defence, IVRCL, that is under scrutiny over its track record and debts, hinted at several possibilities including a bomb blast. "The glass was shattered. It could have been a blast," Sheela Peddinti, legal adviser to IVRCL said.

Two senior engineers of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority which was IVRCL's joint venture partner in the project have been suspended.

The police have registered a case of murder and attempt to murder against IVRCL.

The partially constructed overpass was designed to ease traffic through the densely crowded Burrabazaar area. Within hours of concrete being poured into a framework of steel girders on Thursday, a 100-metre stretch of the overpass collapsed, crushing pedestrians and cars on the road at lunchtime.

The bridge has been under construction since 2009. The company was given an 18-month deadline and a budget of nearly Rs. 165 crore to complete the project but after seven years, only about 60 percent of the work has been done.