Hyd: Flyover collapses, 20 feared dead

Hyderabad, Sep 9: At least 20 are feared dead and many injured when Panjugutta flyover in the busy commercial area of West hyderabad collapsed today. This flyover was under construction for 1 year and was supposed to be inaugurated in Dec 2008.

Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh consents to many number of cars trapped in the debris. "The rescue operation is on and the exact number of casualties is not yet clear", says Police Commissioner. Eye witnesses confess to seeing 15-20 cars trapped inside. Cranes have been put in service to pull out cars from the debris. The injured have been shifted to NIMS and Apollo hospital.

Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has rushed to the spot. Police had to lathicharge to avoid stampede. Panjugutta flyover is in a busy commercial area and is near Banjara Hills.

The heavy rain that lashed the city since evening probably made the flyover weak and it collapsed. The slab of a thickness of about 10 cm came down crashing.

The flyover for a length of about 50 to 70 metres caved in after a heavy downpour and crashed to the left side of the road underneath (from Punjagutta-Nagarjuna Circle), flattening cars, autorickshaws and two wheelers. Constructed by Gammon India, the flyover now is in two parts, the first one is from Green Lands to Somajiguda and the second from there to Nagarjuna Circle over Punjagutta centre.

The officials fear that the remaining part may cave in too. They have evacuated the people from the vicinity.

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