Kolkata Tragedy: Omar Abdullah Calls For Safety Audit In Jammu And Kashmir

Srinagar: In the wake of collapse of the under-construction flyover in Kolkata in which 18 people were killed, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today suggested a safety audit at flyover construction sites in the twin capitals of the state to prevent any such mishap.

"The accident at the construction site of the flyover in Kolkata earlier this afternoon is extremely unfortunate. My sympathies and prayers go out to those injured and to the families of those killed in this tragic accident," Mr Abdullah wrote on his Facebook page.

He said ordinarily an accident in one part of the country would not have implications for the people in the state "but in this case forewarned is forearmed".

"There are two flyover projects under implementation in the twin capitals of Jammu and Srinagar. While the Jammu project doesn't really have much traffic passing right under it, the work site in Srinagar is a different story altogether.

"The project in Srinagar allotted by Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency to a private construction company passes over a major road of the city.

"The road has shops on both sides and every day tens of thousands of people pass right beneath the under-construction flyover. An accident similar to the one in Kolkata would have devastating consequences in terms of loss of life and injuries to people," Mr Abdullah, the working president of National Conference (NC), said.

He appealed to state Governor NN Vohra to order a safety audit of the both flyover sites.

"I'm sure the contractors building the flyovers in the two cities are taking all precautions. At the same time, I'd like to appeal to the government headed by the Governor to order a safety audit of both sites, especially in Srinagar so that any shortcoming and gap can be addressed before any accidents strike," Mr Abdullah said.