A foot overbridge near Chatrapati Shivaji Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) Railway station in Mumbai collapsed this evening, injuring several persons. According to reports, a foot overbridge that connects the platform number 1 of CST station and B T Lane near Times of India building collapsed around 7.30 PM this evening.
Foot over bridge connecting CST platform 1 north end with B T Lane near Times of India building has collapsed. Injured persons are being shifted to hospitals. Traffic affected. Commuters to use alternate routes. Senior officers are on spot.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) March 14, 2019
According to reports, 4 people have died while more than 30 people were injured in the incident, and they were admitted to St. George Hospital and GT Hospital. The bridge runs over a road and the debris of the bridge fell on people and vehicle below. According to videos and images of collapsed bridge shared on social media, it can be seen that the superstructure of the bridge is intact, but a large portion of the deck fell down on the traffic below. Several people were trapped in the debris of concrete slabs and steel sections of the fallen deck of the bridge.
#Mumbai foot over bridge collapse pic.twitter.com/7pYJxTq6oH
— Deepak Nagpal (@_deepaknagpal) March 14, 2019
The road has been closed for traffic and work on clearing the debris is going on. The bridge is under BMC, and Councillor Rais Shaikh accepted that the municipal body is responsible for this disaster.
This incident comes just one and a half year after the horrific stampede on Elphinstone Road railway station which had killed 23 people and injured many more. Last year another bridge, the pedestrian section of the Gokhale overbridge over railway line at Andheri had collapsed, injuring five people. After such incidents, the government had ordered safety audit of foot overbridges in Mumbai. Railway minister Piyush Goyal had announced a joint safety audit of 445 in Mumbai suburban railway network along with BMC.
The bridge near CST station was already under repair, according to reports. According to unconfirmed reports, the bridge had passed the safety audit done by BMC.
