India flyover collapse leads to fatalities

At least 18 people have been killed in Varanasi, India, after a flyover collapsed, crushing vehicles beneath it. The bridge was under construction.

The flyover was still being built when portions of its cement structure fell on the road being used under it. It is reported that around a dozen people have also been injured.

The bridge was being constructed by UP State Bridge Corporation, which was established in 1973 by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh. Following the incident, four officials of the UP State Bridge Corporation have been suspended.

Issues with buildings and infrastructure are not uncommon in India – in September 2017 33 people died when a six-storey Mumbai building toppled and more than 20 people died in 2016 when a flyover collapsed in Kolkata. 

Varanasi is the home constituency of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who tweeted: “I pray that the injured recover soon. Spoke to officials and asked them to ensure all possible support to those affected.”