Mumbai bridge collapse: Fix responsibility by Friday evening, CM Devendra Fadnavis tells authorities
Devendra Fadnavis said he has ordered a high-level inquiry and police have registered a first information report.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis set Friday evening as deadline for the Mumbai municipal commissioner to fix “primary responsibility” for the the collapse of a foot overbridge in the city, NDTV reported.
“I have asked the municipal commissioner to conduct an initial investigation and fix primary responsibility [for the collapse] by today evening,” Fadnavis told reporters after visiting injured people admitted at the St Georges Hospital. Fadnavis said one of those injured in the bridge collapse was admitted to the ICU while 10 others are in the ward and they are all out of danger.
At least six people died after a foot overbridge connecting the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus with the Azad Maidan police station collapsed on Thursday evening.
Fadnavis said the bridge collapsed even after a structural audit was done recently. The chief minister said questions have been raised on audits of such structures and a re-audit has been ordered. “We have ordered a high-level inquiry,” he said.
Fadnavis said he has instructed police not to spare any person who is responsible for the structure’s collapse. He said police have registered a first information report.
The chief minister said the official who gave the safety certificate after suggesting minor repairs has a “big responsibility”.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ajoy Mehta has ordered the Vigilance Department to submit a preliminary report within 24 hours, identifying the municipal staff and structural auditor responsible for the incident, ANI reported.
The metal frame of the bridge and portions of the bridge that collapsed will be removed on Friday.
The Congress held the Bharatiya Janata Party governments in Maharashtra and at Centre responsible for the collapse of the foot overbridge in Mumbai. The Opposition party said the BJP governments were “criminally culpable” of inaction and demanded the resignation of Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.