A reinforcement cage at an under-construction pier of the Anand Nagar–Saket Elevated Road project toppled onto a moving car on Kopri Bridge in Thane, damaging its front windshield. No injuries were reported in the incident, according to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
The incident raised concerns about construction safety and the risks posed to motorists travelling through the area.
MMRDA imposes Rs 2 crore penalty on contractor
MMRDA said it was treating the incident with utmost seriousness and would not tolerate lapses in construction safety. The authority has imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore on the contractor executing the project.
“The damaged vehicle has been removed, and the toppled reinforcement cage is being safely cleared with the assistance of a crane,” MMRDA said in a statement.
Investigation ordered into safety lapses
MMRDA has ordered a detailed investigation to determine the cause of the incident and identify any safety lapses at the construction site. The authority said necessary corrective measures would be enforced to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“Such incidents are unacceptable, and any lapse in construction safety will not be tolerated,” the authority said.
MMRDA reiterated that public safety remained its highest priority and assured that strict accountability would be enforced at every project site.
Three killed, three injured as tempo plunges into gorge in Nanded
In a separate incident, three persons were killed and three others sustained injuries after a tempo they were travelling in plunged nearly 100 feet into a gorge on a ghat road in Maharashtra’s Nanded district, police said on Saturday, reported PTI.
The accident occurred when the vehicle, carrying pilgrims from Yavatmal, was negotiating a sharp bend on Keroli Ghat in Mahur tehsil around 5 am on Friday, an official said.
The victims, who worked at a furniture shop, were returning to Yavatmal after visiting a temple at Mahur for the ongoing Navratri festival, reported PTI.
According to the police, the tempo was descending the ghat and a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction allegedly came at high speed on the wrong side of the road. Its powerful headlights reportedly blinded the tempo driver, who attempted to steer away to avoid a collision, reported PTI.
However, the absence of a sturdy protective wall or crash barrier at the bend caused the driver to lose control, and the tempo plunged into the deep gorge.
Babarao Dnyanoba Tekam (60), Rahul Sudhakarrao Thakre (25) and Pritam Ramrao Pradhan (38), who were seated in the open cargo section at the rear, were thrown out as the tempo tumbled down the slope, reported PTI.
Thakre and Pradhan died on the spot, while the third man succumbed during treatment, the official said.
The driver, Pratik Arvind Adkine (26), Datta Manohar Meshram (35) and Yashwant Arvind Patil (25), who were seated in the cabin, sustained minor injuries and their condition is stable, the official said, reported PTI.
He said that the tempo and the victims were extricated with the help of ropes and a crane.
(With inputs from PTI)
