A senior official of IVRCL callously reacted to the collapse of the flyover it was constructing in Kolkata on Thursday, as an act of God even as the death toll rose to 21 with scores of people still trapped under the debris.
"It's nothing but a God's act. So far in 27 years we have constructed several number of bridges...it (today's collapse) never happened," K Panduranga Rao, Group Head (HR & Admin) of the Hyderabad-based company told reporters.
This statement comes even as a company official denied any quality or technical issue as the cause behind the incident "as of now".
An under-construction flyover collapsed on Thursday on the busy Vivekananda Road area of Girish Park in north Kolkata.
Two of IVRCL engineers are also missing from the collapsed site, Rao said, adding, searches are in progress to find them.
When asked about the reason for the collapse, Director (Operations), A G K Murty, said, "It's not due to any quality issue nor any technical issue, as of now".
Murty said that 70 per cent of work on construction of the flyover had been completed, and today 60th slab was being "done" (when it collapsed).
The two officials said the company would cooperate with government agencies.
"Whatever best possible, we will be doing. All the projects have their own insurance...whatever best possible, we will be doing for the people involved", Murty said.
"We are in deep shock. We at the management are also in shock...we are waiting for what's happened. We are checking," the officials added.
(With PTI Inputs)