Accident on Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro Line 5: Iron rod falls from bridge, pierces head of autorickshaw passenger

Time of India

6 days ago

Bhiwandi: An accident occurred at the construction site of the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro Line 5 when a long iron rod fell from the metro bridge. The rod directly pierced the forehead of a passenger travelling in an autorickshaw on the road below.
The passnger sustained serious injuries.
The injured passenger was identified as Sonu Ali (20), a resident of Vitthal Nagar in Bhiwandi.
The construction work is underway on the first phase of the Thane-Bhiwandi metro route. The police said the incident took place on Tuesday around 2 pm.
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While Sonu Ali was travelling in an autorickshaw, the rod, seven to eight feet long and 20 mm thick, fell directly on to the moving autorickshaw.
The rod pierced through the rickshaw and into the passenger's head, leaving him covered in blood. Despite the severity of the injury, he remained conscious.
Learning about the incident, the police, with the help of the autorickshaw driver, rushed the injured person to the private Nobel Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. After learning about the incident, local workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a road blockade protest to express their anger.
The MNS workers demanded that a criminal case be filed against the contractor concerned. The police are investigating the cause of the accident and determining who is responsible.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) imposed a total penalty of Rs 55 lakh on two companies involved in the construction of Metro Line 5 after the tie rod from the site fell on the autorickshaw and left the passenger injured.
While a Rs 50 lakh fine was levied on civil contractor Afcons, the general consultant, Systra-CEG-Systra (India), was penalised Rs 5 lakh for supervisory lapses.
The incident took place two months after the tie rod—part of a temporary support structure to a deck slab—was installed. It gave way unexpectedly, crashing on to the auto and injuring the commuter on board.
An independent inquiry has now been initiated under the chief safety manager of AICA, the general consultant for Metro Line 2B, to ensure a neutral and expert inquiry. Further action will follow based on the findings, MMRDA said. Following the incident, safety heads of both Afcons and Systra rushed to the hospital where the injured passenger was admitted, and MMRDA directed Afcons to bear the full cost of medical treatment and provide additional support to the victim.
An MMRDA official said, "We deeply regret the incident. Public safety and accountability are paramount to us. Immediate steps have been taken not only to penalise those at fault but also to identify systemic gaps and plug them."