VARANASI: A day after a flyover crashed on a busy street in Varanasi, there was an uneasy calm at ground zero with mangled vehicles still trapped under rubble and residents fearing many bodies had not been extricated even though rescue operations were called off by midnight.The tragedy site — Lehartara-Cantonment railway station road — was cordoned off and traffic diverted to enable forensic teams to gather samples and probe agencies to zero in on the cause. Divisional commissioner Deepak Agrawal confirmed to TOI that wreckage was not removed to enable investigations, considering the stiff 48-hour deadline set by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to submit a report.Varanasi SSP RK Bhardwaj, however, scotched speculation of trapped bodies. “We called off rescue operations only after all bodies were removed and injured rushed to hospitals. The beams were partially lifted to extricate bodies and some vehicular parts may still be buried and visible.”The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is directly monitoring relief, follow-up and probe. “Because the tragedy took place in the PM’s constituency, a senior bureaucrat has been posted at the camp office to provide constant updates and coordinate relief work,” said an official. The PM announced ex gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each to kin of deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those critically injured. This is addition to the compensation announced by the state government.While the city top cop tried to calm nerves and probe teams rummaged through debris and climbed atop pillars, the death toll became a contentious issue, raising questions on distribution of compensation.ADG Varanasi zone P B Ramashastri had confirmed recovery of 19 bodies on Tuesday, but deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya put the toll at 18. But by midnight, chief minister Yogi Adityanath declared only 15 deaths during his media briefing at Varanasi circuit house. The list of deceased released by the state government on Wednesday has only 15 names. But by late evening, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which was in the vanguard of the rescue mission confirmed that 18 bodies were extricated from under the rubble.On Wednesday, while the probe picked up pace, an FIR was lodged against unidentified employees of UP Bridge Corporation for culpable homicide, among other IPC sections. This follows the suspension of four officers, just hours after the tragedy on Tuesday.On Wednesday morning, a three-member investigation team led by agriculture production commissioner Raj Pratap Singh, reached the site escorted by an additional city magistrate to inspect the beams. Later, drone cameras were deployed for photography of ground zero. Chief project manager HC Tiwari and assistant project manager R Sudan, who were suspended on Tuesday, were questioned by the probe team.

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