merisarkar news service New Delhi, October 23, 2011
34 killed in FOB collapse
The death toll in the collapse of a wooden footbridge over Little Rangeet River in Darjeeling district rose to 34 with 10 persons succumbing to their injuries on Sunday.
The toll is likely to increase further as some of the victims are seriously injured, hospital sources said.
Chief Medical Officer of Darjeeling Subir Bhowmik said the 10 persons succumbed to their injuries at the North Bengal Medical College Hospital at Siliguri and at Darjeeling Sadar Hospital.
The old wooden footbridge at Bijanbari in Darjeeling district, which was weakened after the 18th September earthquake, gave way under crowd pressure during a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) meeting nearby at Bijanbari on Saturday.
Army personnel of the Mountain Brigade and the Army Medical Corps have joined the fire brigade, police and disaster management personnel in the rescue operation and mobilized some ambulances at their disposal.
Some of the injured have also been admitted to Army hospitals, district administration sources said on Sunday.
West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan on Sunday visited the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital and promised all help to the kin of the victims and those injured.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, instructed the hospital authorities to provide best treatment possible the expenses of would be borne by the state government.
Mamata also announced the state government's decision to pay Rs two lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured persons and Rs 25,000 each to the persons who suffered minor injuries.
The state government would also bear expenses for treatment of those patients who were admitted to private hospitals and nursing homes in Siliguri, Mamata said.
She was accompanied by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and Union Minister for Health Sudip Bandopadhyay.
The chief minister will also go to Darjeeling to visit the Sadar Hospital there where many injured persons were admitted and from there she would proceed to the site of the bridge collapse.
Darjeeling MP and senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh on Sunday announced a grant of Rs 50 lakh from his MPLAD fund for construction of a new bridge in place of the old one, his secretary said.
