Fly-over collapse: Rescue work on to clear debris

HYDERABAD: Rescue workers were engaged in removing the debris at an under-construction flyover in the busy Panjagutta area which collapsed on Sunday night killing two persons and injuring 10 others.

The mishap initially triggered fears that at least 15 persons could have lost their lives as the giant iron girders and concrete slabs caved in and flattened several vehicles.

However, after clearing most of the rubble on Monday morning, the police said two persons -- Ankit Arora from Haryana, an executive in Infosys and M B Kumar, a close aide of TRS leader S Santhosh Reddy were killed and condition of one of the injured was serious.

The vehicles parked under the flyover took the brunt of the crash as tonnes of steel and cement came down after the iron scaffolding, supporting the pre-fabricated cement segments, gave way.

"We hope to complete the debris clearance work in a couple of hours. A departmental inquiry has been ordered and action will be taken on the basis of its report," Hyderabad district collector Chandravadan said.

The 1.7 km long flyover, started in September 2005 at a cost of Rs 30 crores, is located at a stones throw from Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's camp office.

The rescue workers toiled throughout the night and used gas cutters and heavy duty cranes to remove girders and cement blocks.

The Chairman of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation C V S K Sarma said a committee of senior technical experts had been constituted to look into the cause of the mishap and the guilty would be punished. (PTI)