Two killed as Delhi Metro flyover collapses
Workers (L) gather at the site where a flyover bridge for the Delhi Metro collapsed in New Delhi yesterday. At least two people were killed and 25 injured when a part of the metro flyover bridge that was under construction caved in at Shakarpur, near the Laximnagar area of East Delhi, crushing several passing vehicles including a Blueline bus.Photo: AFP
At least two people were killed and 30 injured when part of an under-construction flyover of the Delhi Metro collapsed in New Delhi last morning, officials said.
The accident -- for the first time in the decade-old history of Delhi Metro -- occurred at around 7 am in Laxmi Nagar locality of East Delhi when a launcher machine joining prefabricated, heavy concrete structures between two pillars lost control, leading to a part of the flyover coming down, a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official said.
A Blue line bus plying on route number 39, a crane of the construction company, one truck and a few cars were trapped under the debris of the flyover.
"There were about 15 people inside the bus when the crane and construction materials came crashing on the bus. The front portion of the bus was trapped due to which the driver was killed," Dipak, the helper of the Blueline bus, told IANS.
Rescue operations are on and all the injured have been shifted to hospitals.
"This has happened for the first time in the decade-old history of Delhi Metro. We are asking AFCONS (the private construction company in-charge of the segment) about the technical failure," said Vijay Anand, director, Delhi Metro.
"We have ordered a high level enquiry into the incident," Anand told reporters.
Delhi Finance Minister AK Walia, who reached the accident site, said: "Eight people were rushed to my nursing home (close to the accident site) a little after 7 am. At least three people were later referred to bigger hospitals."
Walia said the Delhi Metro has to furnish a detailed report about the mishap and his government would take further action.
Delhi Metro, the modern mass transport system in the capital, ferries over 700,000 passengers daily over a network of 65 km. Work is on to construct another 125 km of metro network before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
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