Rescue work in progress at the Hyderabad flyover collapse site on Monday. (PTI)

Hyderabad, Sept. 10: Tense authorities breathed easier as Andhra police today said only three persons had died in the flyover crash, but doubts about the need to build the “ugly toad” emerged from under the rubble.

Officials also hinted at negligence on the part of the builders. “They should have checked the soil condition before erecting the scaffolding,” said Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation chief C.V.S.K. Sharma.

After 15 hours of rain-hobbled rescue work, city police revised the toll to three from the 22 feared dead yesterday.

Sources said the dozen-odd cars found under the debris were empty.

“They were not cars passing by but those parked by local shoppers and employees of malls,” said commissioner Balwinder Singh.

G. Srinivas, an injured taxi driver, in hospital. (PTI)

The police said eight pre-fabricated concrete moulds slid to the ground after the rain.

Among the dead was Alok Arora, a 32-year-old Infosys employee from Haryana. Another victim was identified as Satyanarayana, 42, whose body was the last to be retrieved this afternoon. The condition of five of the injured is said to be serious.

Residents said the flyover marred the city’s landscape. “It sits like a toad in the middle of the high-profile business district,” said Rama Rao, who has been campaigning for a “better” Hyderabad.

The state government has set up a committee to probe the reasons behind the collapse and check out whether the construction was safe as the builders had allegedly ignored safety norms.

Chief minister Y.S.R. Reddy has suspended executive engineer S. Venkataramani and two other engineers for alleged negligence in supervising the project. Notices were also issued to the contractors, Gammon India.

Minister and city Congress legislator Mukesh Gowd said the expert committee would on Thursday submit a report on how safe the project is.