A Metro worker died after a 2.8 tonne steel girder fell on him while it was being launched on Metro Line 2A at Kandivali (West).
The victim, Jagjit Singh (28), had been working on the site as a rigger for the last two years.
“The incident occurred on January 16. While they were launching the girder, the belt that was holding it up snapped, and the victim was under it. It was a case of negligence,” Vitthal Shinde, senior police inspector of Charkop police station, said.
According to police officials, the incident occurred around 1.30 a.m. near Shiv Shrushti building on New Link Road, where Metro Line 2A is being constructed. “The girder fell on the victim’s head and he was rushed to Shatabdi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The body was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for post-mortem,” a police official said.
Another worker had received minor injuries in the accident, the police said.
The post-mortem centre attached to Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali received the body at 2.30 a.m. on January 16. According to Dr. Sanjay Jadhav, who conducted the procedure, the deceased had a severe head injury, which led to his death.
Singh had been working as a rigger for the past two years and was on the night shift, his brother-in-law Jagtar Singh told the police. “On the night of the incident, the safety belt of the crane snapped and the beam fell on him,” Jagtar told the police in his statement.
The police have registered a case of death caused due to negligence under Sections 304 (A), 337 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code against the Metro contractor and site supervisor, without naming anyone. The police have not made any arrests yet.
Singh had been working with J. Kumar Infra, which is executing Metro Line 2A between Dahisar and DN Nagar. Representatives of J. Kumar Infra declined to comment on the matter. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority did not respond to queries till the time of going to press.
