Indian police arrest 5 construction officials after Kolkata overpass collapse that killed 23

23 people died when this overpass in Kolkata, India, collapsed — (Image credit: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images)

On Friday, police in Kolkata, India, opened a culpable homicide case against and detained five officials from IVRCL Infrastructure Co., the construction company that was building the overpass that collapsed in a crowded neighborhood on Thursday, killing at least 23 people and injuring more than 80 others. The culpable homicide charges carry up to life in prison, and separate criminal breach of trust charges are punishable by up to seven years in jail, police said.

Rescue crews with saws, small cranes, and jackhammers had worked overnight to try to find and remove survivors, but on Friday they gave up hope. "The rescue operation is in its last phase," said S.S. Guleria, deputy inspector general of the India's National Disaster Response Force. "There is no possibility of finding any person alive." On Thursday, IVRCL's director of operations, A.G.K. Murthy, had said that contrary to speculation, "we did not use any inferior quality material." The overpass, under construction since 2007, was far behind schedule. The disaster is expected to be an issue in this month's elections in West Bengal, where Kolkata is the capital; Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking re-election.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.