KOLKATA: A 14-second video footage from a CCTV camera shows how a sleepy Thursday afternoon turned into a nightmare for the eastern metropolis, when an under-construction flyover came crashing down, killing at least 14 people.
The video captures the fleeting seconds as the 100-metre slab of concrete and metal from the under-construction Vivekananda Road flyover came crashing down on unsuspecting passers-by and vehicles crossing over the north Kolkata stretch, crushing to death at least 14 people under its sheer weight.
Just moments before the collapse, people on bicycles, two auto-rickshaws and scores of people on foot can be seen using the busy crossing at Ganesh Talkies in the 14-second video.
Narrow streets branch off on either sides of the four-way crossing, surrounded by rows of buildings stashed against each other.
In a few seconds, the video shows a huge black mass falling on top of the cyclists, the auto-rickshaws and those on foot as they seem to scurry. A police booth in a corner is also flattened.
A few lucky cabs and vehicles escape the tragedy by a hair's breadth.
The visibly crowded area transforms a few seconds after the collapse into a picture of death and gloom.