Varanasi, May 15: In a tragic accident, under-construction bridge collapsed near Varanasi Cantonment railway station. Eighteen bodies have been recovered from the debris, while several others are still trapped under the rubble. Several vehicles are also reported to be stuck under rubble. Five teams of NDRF  with full equipment rushed to the spot of the accident.

"Several people are feared trapped under the collapsed under-construction flyover. Rescue operations are underway and the police is regulating traffic. We are waiting for NDRF team," News18 quoted DGP OP Singhas saying.

Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi expressed grief on the incident. He tweeted, "Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to the collapse of an under-construction flyover in Varanasi. I pray that the injured recover soon. Spoke to officials and asked them to ensure all possible support to those affected."

The Prime Minister spoke to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and took stock of the situation. The UP government is monitoring the situation. The Chief Minister has also announced compensation of Rs five lakh for the family of dead and Rs two lakh for seriously injured. The enquiry has been ordered into the incident.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded enquiry in to the accident. Varanasi is also the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier this month, a major portion of a bridge over an irrigation canal at Ekamba village in Jeypore block in Odisha caved in blocking water supply to around 2000 acres of rabi crop fields. In another incident, six labourers were injured when an under-construction bridge being built across Kakatte river at Pandikadavu (Karnataka) in Srimangala police station limits collapsed on April 21.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 15, 2018 07:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).