West Bengal jetty collapse: Death toll reaches 14, over 10 still missing

According to reports, rescue operators recovered six bodies in the morning and more two in the afternoon from Hooghly river (Ganges).

Earlier on Wednesday noon, a temporary jetty reportedly submerged in Hooghly river (Ganges), after being hit by a high tide, at Telenipara area under Bhadreswar Police Station limits in West Bengal's Hooghly district.

Nearly 70 persons, including women, children and seniors, were waiting for ferry on the jetty that time and over 60 of them fell into water after the bamboo-made jetty collapsed.

Following the mishap, locals and police from nearby Telenipara police outpost had started rescue efforts primarily and hours later, Kolkata Police's Disaster Management Group (DMG) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the operation.

Rescue workers recovered three bodies from the water on Wednesday and three more on Thursday while seven other were rescued alive and sent to a nearby hospital.

A local police official told IBNS that at least 10 persons are still missing and rescue efforts are underway to find them.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the kin of those killed in the accident and a compensation of Rs. 25,000 for the injured.

Meanwhile, based on an FIR, lodged by a local resident Krishna Prasad Singh, police on Wednesday night arrested four lessees of the jetty- Sukamal Chakraborty, Dipankar Banerjee, Sujit Ganguly and Subhas Pal- in connection with the incident.

To discuss the matter, the state administration on Friday held a high-level meeting at Nabanna in the presence of state's Chief Secretary and transport secretary. 

Following the meeting, Principal Secretary of state's transport department, Alapan Banerjee, told IBNS: "After discussing the accident in Hooghly river and the health of jetties in the state with our District Magistrates, we have taken few decisions today."

"We will remove semi mechanized unregistered unsafe vutvutis (small diesel boats) slowly and our government is coming up with 'Jolodhara' scheme, where the state will give financial support to convert vutvutis into new safe registered boats," Alapan Banerjee added.

"We have directed our district machineries to observe the health of permanent and temporary jetties in the state and to remove those bamboo-made temporary jetties, which are not indispensable. Those temporary jetties, which are crucial, will be modified slowly to permanent and safe jetties," the senior IPS officer further said.

Chief Transport Secretary also said that like 'Safe Drive, Save Life', a river safety campaign will begin shortly.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)