A twofold collapse failure on a construction site for an extension of the Delhi Metro has officials investigating and rail opponents incensed. An elevated section of track came crashing down on July 12, killing six workers and injuring 20. One day later, three cranes trying to remove the launching girder had a “mechanical failure,” says Delhi Metro spokesman Anuj Dayal.
The design-build contract on the 20-km new corridor being built from Delhi’s central core to the southeast is held by Gammon India Ltd., a private firm contracted by Delhi Metro Rail Corp. Ltd.(DMRC). It established a four-member panel to investigate the tragedy and produce a report within 10 days. Much of the attention will be on the failure of the pier cap to balance the weight of the launching girder. “A committee is investigating...the cause,” Gammon India Vice President R.L. Telang told a news wire, adding, “There is no design fault.”