Six dead, 36 hurt in Mumbai footbridge collapse

Mumbai - Officials claimed that the bridge was found to be sturdy after a recent structural audit.

At least six persons were killed and another 36 injured, including some critically, when a portion of a overhead pedestrian bridge outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus came crashing down on Thursday.
The victims included three women - Apoorva Prabhu, 35, Ranjana Tambe, 40, and Bhakti Shinde, 40. The two of the three others killed were identified as Zahid Siraj Khan, 32 and Tapendra Singh, 35.
The incident - the third footbridge collapse in the city in the last 18 months - occurred around 7.35 pm as the bridge was reportedly overloaded with commuters hurrying to their homes, the BMC Disaster Control said.
Connecting the CSMT's suburban platform No. 1 with the B.T. Lane near The Times of India Building and the Anjuman-e-Islam School, it was used by thousands of daily commuters rushing to catch the local trains on Central Railway and the Harbour Line.
The injured have been rushed to the St. George Hospital and G. T. Hospital, besides Sion Hospital, said officials.
Politicians from several parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena, the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and others rushed to the site and activists helped in the rescue operations.
Officials claimed that the bridge was found to be sturdy after a recent structural audit and only needed a few minor repairs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep anguish over the deaths and said the Maharashtra government is providing all possible assistance to all those affected.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal expressed "sincere condolences to the family of the victims" and said the railway doctors and personnel are assisting the local authorities grapple with the tragedy.

• India