At least five persons were killed and another 30 injured, including some critically, when a portion of an overhead pedestrian bridge outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus came crashing down on Thursday evening. Visuals showed a large gap in the bridge, which connects CSMT platform’s 1 north end with BT Lane near the Times of India building in South Mumbai.
The victims included three women - Apoorva Prabhu, 35, Ranjana Tambe, 40, and Bhakti Shinde, 40. The two men killed were identified as Zahid Siraj Khan, 32 and Tapendra Singh, 35. The injured have been shifted to St George Hospital and GT Hospital.
#WATCH Mumbai: A foot over bridge near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station has collapsed. Multiple injuries have been reported. pic.twitter.com/r43zS5eA0l
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2019
The incident - the third footbridge collapse in the city in the last 18 months - occurred around 7.35 p.m. since the bridge was reportedly overloaded with commuters hurrying to their homes, the BMC Disaster Control said.
Visuals showed that the middle of the bridge fell onto the road below. According to reports, the accident took place at around 7.30 pm. An eyewitness, Jaiveer, told Times Now that the rubble from the bridge fell on some commuters who were walking under the bridge.
The spot of the accident, located near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, is a very busy junction and traffic has been affected. Commuters have been asked to use alternate routes. Peak hour traffic towards Byculla and Dadar and beyond was diverted, creating massive snarls across south Mumbai. Rail traffic remained unaffected.
Commuters are advised to use the Mahapalika Marg from CST to Metro Junction and ahead towards Princess Street Flyover/ Crawford Market/ Chakala and Mohammed Ali Road.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) March 14, 2019
ANI reported that senior police officers and the fire brigade, as well as ambulances, were rushed to the location. An NDRF team was also moved to the spot.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep anguish over the deaths and said the Maharashtra government is providing all possible assistance to all those affected. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal expressed "sincere condolences to the family of the victims" and said the railway doctors and personnel are assisting the local authorities grapple with the tragedy.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he was "pained" to hear of the tragedy, and spoke to BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and Mumbai Police and instructed them to ensure speedy relief efforts.
On July 3, 2018, a portion of the Gokhale Road bridge linking Andheri East and West gave way and collapsed, falling on the tracks of Andheri railway. 5 people were injured and 2 casualties were reported.
Helpline numbers:
BMC Disaster Management: 9833806409
St George Hospital: 022-22620242
(With IANS inputs)