A 53-year-old man died after a portion of the boundary wall at Gokulpuri metro station on the Pink Line collapsed on them around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has directed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to form a committee to probe the incident and submit a report within two weeks.
The DMRC ordered safety checks on the entire Delhi Metro network immediately after the accident.
The transporter has also suspended two officials — a manager and a junior engineer — as they were prima facie associated with structural checks at the metro station. A police officer said the metro station has been shut for now.
DCP (North East) Joy Tirkey said a case under IPC Sections 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life) has been registered against the contractors who had built the wall.
He said about 40-50 metres of the wall collapsed on to the road. The police staff with the help of locals and officials from the Fire Department pulled out the victims from the debris, he said.
All five were taken to GTB Hospital in Dilshad Garden, where Vinod Kumar, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Colony near Karawal Nagar, was declared dead.
He originally belonged to Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh and survived by his wife and three children. Kumar worked as a rice supplier. On Thursday morning, he had collected rice from a shop in Karawal Nagar and was on his way to GTB Enclave to deliver it.
The police said the victims were travelling on scooters when the boundary wall on the eastern side of the elevated platform fell on them. Some portion of the platform is still hanging.
Those injured were identified as Monu, 19, Ajit, 21, Mohd. Tazir, 24, and Sandeep, 27.
According to the police, Ajit, Monu, and Sandeep worked as dhol wallahs in the Gokulpuri area.
“They were returning on a scooter after cracking a deal when the incident took place. It’s traumatising and difficult to imagine what they have gone through,” Mr. Sandeep’s brother Deepak said.
The DMRC has announced ₹25 lakh compensation for the dead person’s family, an official statement said.
The DMRC also announced ₹5-lakh relief for each of those grievously injured, it stated.
The DMRC will be investigating the circumstances leading to this incident to take necessary remedial measures to prevent such unfortunate occurrences in future, it said.
“Taking immediate cognisance of the unfortunate incident at Gokulpuri, DMRC’s Managing Director Vikas Kumar has issued instructions to all departments concerned to conduct vigorous safety checks across the Delhi Metro network,” said Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director (Corporate Communication), DMRC.
The road was cleared of the debris within an hour of the incident to ensure seamless traffic movement, he said.
The DMRC officials are at the hospital ensuring all possible assistance to the injured. All details regarding the incident have been shared with the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), Mr. Dayal said.
On being told about the compensation being provided by the DMRC, Mr. Deepak said, “My brother works on meagre wages. This will not be able to help us. Ajit has a fracture and his sister is going to get married. How will the family manage?”
Sandeep has three children and Ajit has five sisters.
A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said four fire tenders were immediately pressed into service. Assistant Divisional Officer (DFS) C.L. Meena said two persons were rescued by the Delhi police while two others were taken out by the fire officials.
