For several hours after the crash, the concrete section could not be lifted as there were no big cranes available, nor were there cutters to break it into smaller parts. All this while, no one knew how many people actually lay buried under the debris.

The incident took place at 5.10 pm when labourers were asked to move a concrete panel on the flyover. No more than 20 hits of hammer on the panel and the 30-metre-long section gave way, bringing down the workers with it. Two students who happened to be passing by were hit by the falling debris. The injured were rushed to hospital where one of them died. Among the deceased are two brothers of the same family. All the injured labourers are aged between 20 and 26 years of age.

Eight JCBs were arranged from the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, a construction company which is carrying out some work nearby, and the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC). But these were of no use. A few hours later five cranes were arranged, which were able to lift the concrete section and two bodies were found under it.

Confirming the deaths, Lucknow District Magistrate Chandra Bhanu said two victims were identified as Ram Singh and Ram Phal, both labourers from Unnao, a small town 60 km from Lucknow. The third victim could not be identified. Of the 11 injured, two were said to be in serious condition.

Chief Minister Mayawati, who visited the spot, blamed the Centre for the incident and asked it to set up a high-level probe. She announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for medical treatment of those who were injured.

The project is being executed by the NHAI and HCC is constructing it. While HCC Project Director Manish did not attend phone calls, NHAI Project Director N K Jain’s phone was switched off.

It was Vajpayee’s gift to the city
The under-construction flyover, a section of which crashed on Tuesday evening, was a dream project of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who represents Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency. Located at the Polytechnic crossing in Gomti Nagar, the project aimed to decongest the city roads by diverting long-distance traffic from Ring Road to Faizabad and Sultanpur highways. The National Highway Authority was chosen to execute the project and the work on the project had begun in 2002. Vajpayee, along with the then Union Surface Transport Minister B C Khanduri, had come to Lucknow to lay the foundation stone. The project was to be completed in two years. It, however, kept languishing for one reason or another. In 2005, work on the project was stopped following objections from the Mulayam Singh government that said it would displace around 1,000 families. Around six months ago, the Mayawati government gave go ahead to the project after negotiating with the Centre.