The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay
May 2016 back issue
by Debiprasad Mukherjee
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker
They said – It was just a collapse of a flyover. They said – It was an act of God. As the Vivekananda Road Flyover
collapsed in the heart of Kolkata, India on 31st March, 2016, resulting in the loss of 25+ innocent lives and critical
injuries of over 100+ victims - the act was definitely manmade. As the people of Kolkata watched wailing mourners
looking through the debris for their family members, life took a standstill as many unfulfilled dreams, many honest
promises lay buried under the concrete and mortar.
No, it was not an act of God. This was sheer negligence of the Infrastructure Company & lack of inspection from the
Govt. which ended up with mass homicide in one of the most densely populated areas in Kolkata. CCTV footage
reveals the heart-wrenching pictures as the structure collapsed, hitting passers-by, auto rickshaws, cars, nearby
buildings and the homeless people who have been living in makeshift structures under the flyover, getting grounded in
a matter of moments! The Indian Army, Kolkata Police, Fire Brigade and National Disaster Response Force joined
hands in unity to hasten the rescue operation. As time passed by, more and more bodies were pulled out from the pile
of concrete. Hundreds of people waited anxiously near the rescue area to see if their family and friends had survived.
Some were happy to find their relatives badly injured yet alive, some of them broke down into tears when they found
their relatives’ name on the dead body register and some of them are still waiting for news that they will never receive.
