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27 killed in Darjeeling bridge collapse
Sunday October 23, 2011 06:53:23 AM,
IANS
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Darjeeling: At least
27 people were killed and 60 injured when an overburdened old
bridge collapsed in the Bijonbari area of West Bengal's mountain
district of Darjeeling Saturday, district magistrate Soumitra
Mohan said.
The Border Roads Organisation-built bridge gave way around 7 p.m.
as over 100 people stood on it to listen to speeches of Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders like Bimal Gurung holding a meeting
in the area, 30 km from this town.
"It was an old bridge. It was also damaged in the recent
earthquake," said GJM spokesperson and MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri.
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said many were injured, some
seriously, when the wooden bridge collapsed. Some people have been
rescued by the locals and the administration.
"A cultural programme was being held on one side of the bridge
while a meeting was being held on the other. Too many people were
standing on the bridge when it collapsed and they fell into the
river below," said Giri.
Chhetri feared the casualty figures could go up to 50 or even 60.
North Bengal Development Minister Goutam Deb has already left for
the spot on instruction from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In Kolkata, the chief minister said the injured were being sent to
the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital while blood banks
had been alerted.
"Ambulances are being rushed. The government will do everything it
can," she said and announced that she would start for the
Darjeeling hills immediately, along with Railway Minister Dinesh
Trivedi and Union Minister of State for Health Sudip Bandopadhyay.
"We will try to reach the hills tomorrow."
Expressing shock at the tragedy, Banerjee said the government
would bear the cost of the treatment of the injured.
Compensation will be paid to the next of kin of the dead.
Banerjee said she would cancel her programmes to inaugurate
community Kali Pujas to be with the people of the hills.
A defence ministry spokesperson said forty troops of the Army's
Mountain Brigade have been rushed to the site with medical and
nursing officials following a request from the district
magistrate.
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