The death toll in the Vivekananda Road flyover collapse rose to 24, while as many as 90 people are said to be injured.

On Thursday afternoon, a 100-metre-long span of the under-construction flyover above the bustling Burrabazar-Posta locality in north Kolkata collapsed. The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained.

Rescue operations are still being carried out. NDRF personnel said the death toll may go up as a lorry is still stuck under the debris.

The city police have filed criminal cases, including murder charges, against the Hyderabad-based construction company IVRCL Ltd and detained five of its employees. A team of officials have also left for Hyderabad to investigate.

War of words Coming as it did just four days ahead of the first phase of Assembly poll, the accident has become a major poll plank for Opposition parties.

Throughout the day, various political leaders visited the site. Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will visit the spot tomorrow.

The Trinamool Congress has been quick to blame the previous Left Front government for clearing the project.

Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Trinamool Congress MP and leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, claimed that a “faulty plan” was pursued for the flyover construction.

“By the time the complaints were received 60 per cent of the work had been completed; and a re-modelling would have had huge financial implications for the State exchequer,” he told a TV channel.

Reacting to the statement, West Bengal Pradesh Congress President, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, said: “What stopped the State government from taking action if they knew about the faulty plans?”

Chowdhury during an interactive session with media persons organised by the Press Club, Kolkata, described the flyover collapse as a “man-made disaster” and reiterated his demand for arrest of the culprits.

He alleged that TMC leaders were involved. “It is a man-made disaster which is the result of corruption by TMC leaders. The Chief Minister knows this very well and that is why she is trying to hush up the matter,” he said adding a public interest litigation will be filed soon.

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