Calcutta, Sept. 17: The toll in yesterday’s mishap at Bally Halt rose to 11 with two more passengers succumbing to injuries at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital.

Kajal Das, a resident of Belghoria, died late last night, while Tapan Acharya of Birati succumbed this morning.

A packed Pachla-bound private bus crashed through the railings of the bridge, about 20 km from here, while racing another and fell some 40 feet to the ground, a few inches from the rail tracks below. Seven people were killed on the spot.

Residents of the area pointed fingers at the lack of police personnel on the approach to the bridge. Private buses and other vehicles speed on the approach road, they said. The throng of daily passengers rushing to catch local trains compounds the problem, they said.

Howrah superintendent of police Akhil Roy tried to pass the buck to the Government Railway Police, saying that the traffic on the approach road is the responsibility of the GRP. However, GRP officials said all the traffic comes under the jurisdiction of Howrah police.

This did not hold much water with the residents. “We are not bothered about which police will oversee the traffic on the approach road. We need the area to be manned by traffic police,” said Abinash Jana, an elderly passenger who travels back to Burdwan after attending office in Calcutta.

“The area is accident prone, especially as there are so many train routes. Besides, the road is frequented by people who come use both the chord and main lines and then take trains to Sealdah,” said Abhijit Basu, a resident of Dankuni.

“There is also a mad rush during office hours when people cross the approach road to reach the Bally Ghat station. However, traffic personnel are not posted there,” said Basu.

A joint meeting between Howrah police and GRP has been scheduled for Monday following a directive from Bengal home secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy.

The condition of those admitted to Calcutta Medical College is reported to be critical. Of the 11 persons taken to the hospital from the accident site last evening, one was declared brought dead while another died within half an hour of being admitted. Two others died later.

A.N. Biswas, the deputy superintendent of the hospital, said seven of those admitted yesterday are not yet out of danger.

Death came calling on roads this afternoon also when Sabita Mondal, 33, was hit by an autorickshaw while crossing the Garia main road on the southern fringes of the city. Mondal was declared dead when she was taken to a private nursing home.

Minutes after the mishap, residents of the area damaged three autorickshaws that were passing by and put up a blockade for over an hour protesting against rash driving.

Later, senior officials intervened to disperse the mob