Daijiworld Media Network - Thane
Thane, Oct 18: A massive 12-tonne steel reinforcement cage meant to form a pier of the under-construction Anand Nagar-Saket elevated road collapsed onto a moving sedan on the busy Eastern Express Highway near Kopri railway bridge on Saturday afternoon, narrowly averting a major tragedy.
The incident occurred around 2 pm on the Mumbai-bound carriageway. Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud creaking sound before the towering network of steel rods buckled and came crashing down onto the passing car.
The driver and his female passengers had a narrow escape, even as the steel rods tore through a portion of the car’s roof and smashed its windshield.
“I initially thought some stone had fallen and immediately halted, but was shocked to see how narrowly we escaped. I suffered minor injuries to my head, while my passenger also sustained minor injuries that did not require medical intervention,” the driver told the media.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is executing the project through a contractor, however, claimed that no injuries had been reported.
A Naupada police team that contacted the driver said he refused to file a complaint. A station diary entry has been made, an official said.
The incident has raised serious questions about construction safety along one of the region’s busiest traffic corridors. With vehicles moving along the stretch throughout the day, a similar collapse during peak-hour traffic could have had devastating consequences.
Following the incident, the MMRDA announced a penalty of Rs 2 crore on the contractor and ordered a detailed investigation into the collapse.
“We view this incident with utmost seriousness. Such incidents are unacceptable, and any lapse in construction safety will not be tolerated,” the authority said in a statement, adding that corrective measures would be enforced to prevent a recurrence.
The incident comes close on the heels of a quality-related issue reported at the Kasarwadavli flyover, which led to its closure a year after its inauguration. The latest mishap has triggered further concerns among experts over construction quality and public safety.