New Delhi, October 19
At least two persons were killed and 17 others injured when a 400-tonne segment of the underconstruction Delhi Metro bridge collapsed in the Shakarpur area of East Delhi this morning. The incident happened around 6.45 am when a 34-metre long span, being launched by the workers, developed some mechanical fault.
According to Anuj Dayal, spokesman for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the accident occurred when a launcher machine joining pre-fabricated, heavy concrete structures between two pillars "collapsed", leading to a part of the flyover coming down.
A private Blueline bus with four or five passengers on board, two cars and two Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) trailers were trapped under the debris. The front part of the bus plying on route 39 came under the debris of the heavy structure, killing the driver of the bus Surender Pal Singh (28) on the spot. A worker of AFCONS (the private company in charge of the segment) Chhote Lal (25) was also killed in the accident.
According to a Delhi police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat, 17 people were reported injured in the incident. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, including Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital and Hedgewar Hospital. The condition of three of the injured is said to be serious.
Three cranes were pressed into service to clear the area and restore traffic movement from Preet Vihar to ITO. Scores of policemen, Delhi Fire Service personnel, Civil Defence volunteers and locals were involved in the rescue operations. Metal cutters were
being used to free people trapped under the debris. East Delhi’s Shakarpur is a busy and congested area. However, today being Sunday, the traffic on the road was less compared to the week days. The police had to divert traffic from Vikas Marg, where the incident
took place.
A high-level technical inquiry into the incident has been ordered by Delhi Metro that will include a structural expert from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, an international structural consultant and the chief engineer (design) of the DMRC.
Following the accident, the DMRC has sealed the site office of the contractor in question, namely M/s AFCONS, and seized all their inspection reports and other documents connected with this incident. “This has happened for the first time in the decade-old history of Delhi Metro. We are asking AFCONS about the technical failure,” said Vijay Anand, director, Delhi Metro, adding that that the DMRC would review all construction activities under way in Phase-II stretching
over 125 km.
The DMRC has announced a compensation of Rs 500,000 each for the family of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also visited the spot and monitored the rescue operation. “It’s an unusual accident and everything will come out after the inquiry. Delhi Metro has a very good record but we will find out who is responsible for the mishap,” said Dikshit.
Delhi Metro, the modern mass transport system in the Capital, ferries over 700,000 passengers daily over a network of 65 km. Today’s accident took place in east Delhi where work is on in the Phase II to construct another 125 km of metro network before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
