Three arrests following Lucknow flyover collapse

Three employees of India's Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) are understood to have been arrested after the death of at least seven people following the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Lucknow, India.

Local media quoted S C Dubey, Circle Officer of Gomti Nagar, as saying, "Senior officials and engineers of the HCC were arrested from Barabanki on Wednesday night. We have also arrested one person from Lucknow."

The collapse is understood to have happened after a 30 m long concrete beam failed at the flyover, which was located on the Lucknow-Faizabad road and that had been under construction for almost two years, on Tuesday in the Chinhat area of the state capital.

"A case was registered against officials and employees of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and HCC in the Chinhat police station and we had been conducting raids in Lucknow and Barabanki," said Circle Officer Dubey.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, who visited the site, has blamed the collapse on the low quality materials used in the construction of the flyover.

"It seems that low quality material was used for construction, that's why the bridge collapsed.

We would ask the Central Government to conduct high-level investigation into the mishap and conduct strict inquiry against those found guilty," said the minister.

The NHAI has launched an investigation into the collapse.

"We visited the spot along with the probe team and have collected vital details about the accident. We will also be inspecting other NHAI projects in the state," S C Arora, NHAI Chief general manager, said.