An arm of a high-mast light fell from around 30 metres and crushed a seven-year-old girl at Hastings on Monday morning.
The accident has raised questions over the maintenance of the towering multi-light structures.
Around 7.30am, Guriya Khatun was playing on a footpath under the lights installed near the down ramp of Vidyasagar Setu when one of the nine arms of the high mast came crashing down on her.
“She was taken to SSKM Hospital with head injuries. Doctors declared her brought dead,” a senior Kolkata Police officer said.
Family members alleged that each of the nine lights on the mast was secured with four nuts, but the fallen unit had only one. “The lone nut was found near the light that fell,” a relative said.
The child’s father, Sheikh Firoz, a daily wage labourer, was not present at the time of the accident. A nephew informed him soon after the accident.
Police later cordoned off the area under the mast with barricades and tape.
A case of unnatural death has been registered at Hastings police station.
Residents of the area said the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) had installed the high mast. Senior HRBC officials declined to comment on maintenance of the structure. It is not known whether a separate agency was tasked with its upkeep.
As with roads and bridges, multiple agencies are responsible for high masts across Calcutta, often leading to questions over accountability.
“Maintaining high-mast lights is a complex process. Trained personnel are required to safely lower the lantern carriage, inspect structural integrity, lubricate the winch system, and clean or replace electrical components like LED drivers, ignitors and lamps,” a senior engineer said.
BJP MLAs Tapas Roy and Indranil Khan met the child’s father. “The MLAs met the family at the SSKM Hospital police outpost and handed over a cheque of ₹4 lakh to the father,” a senior police officer said.
