They said – It was just a collapse of a flyover. They said – It was an act of God. As the “Vivekananda Road Flyover” collapsed in the heart of Kolkata, India on 31st March, 2016, resulting in the loss of 25+ innocent lives, critical injuries of over 100+ victims - the act was definitely of mankind! As the people in Kolkata watched wailing mourners looking for the debris of their family members…life took a standstill as many unfulfilled dreams, many honest promises lay buried under the concrete and mortar.

No, it was not an act of God. This was sheer negligence of the Infrastructure Company & lack of inspection from the Govt. which ended up with mass homicide in one of the most densely populated areas in Kolkata. CCTV footage reveals the heart-wrenching pictures as the structure collapsed, hitting passers-by, auto rickshaws, cars, nearby buildings and the homeless people who have been living in makeshift structures under the flyover, getting grounded in a matter of moments! The Indian Army, Kolkata Police, Fire Brigade and National Disaster Response Force joined hands in unity to hasten the rescue operation. As time sped, more & more bodies were pulled out from the pile of concrete. Hundreds of people waited anxiously near the rescue area to see if their family and friends had survived. Some were happy to find their relatives badly injured yet alive, some of them broke down into tears when they found their relatives’ name on the dead body register and some of them are still have no clue of their near & dear ones.


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by Debiprasad Mukherjee