Kolkata flyover collapse: Construction company IVRCL says it could have been terror attack

One day after 23 people were killed in the collapse of a flyover under construction in India, the construction company has hinted that the cause of the collapse could have been a "bomb blast". Sheela Peddinti, legal adviser for IVRCL, said that all possibilities needed to be investigated.

Initial reports suggested that at least 150 were trapped under the concrete and steel bridge after the collapse on 31 March. However, on 1 April Indian authorities said that there was very little hope of finding any more survivors after 67 people were pulled from the rubble out alive.

Speaking to reporters in India, Peddinti said: "In the Deccan Chronicle they have said that 'it was like a bomb blast and there were glass pieces all over'. So there are [different] versions that are possible. We do not know, that has to be looked into. Why it has happened, we are yet to arrive at the decision."

She confirmed that IVRCL and their staff would cooperate with the investigation and provide "maximum support" to the authorities. Her comments come one day after a construction worker caused controversy by saying that the collapse was an "act of God".

The incident sparked an online debate about corruption in India, with many saying that bribes and lack of health and safety resulted in the collapse. The ruling Bharatiya Janat's Party's (BJP) Union Minister of State for Parliamentary affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, also said that it was a "clear case of corruption" and demanded an inquiry.

On 1 April Indian police opened a case of culpable homicide against IVRCL with police due to question bosses at their headquarters in the southern city of Hyderabad. Reports have also indicated that five employees of the construction company have been detained.