6 killed in Mumbai bridge collapse, cops book BMC and railway officials for negligence

News Network
March 15, 2019

Mumbai, Mar 15: In yet another bridge collapse near the city’s suburban railway stations, the nodal foot over-bridge at the northern end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) came crashing down on Thursday evening. Six commuters were killed and at least 34 injured. The number of casualties is expected to rise.

A safety audit of the structure by the civic authority last year had declared the bridge “safe”. A Central Railway spokesperson said, “The collapsed portion did connect the station but it was in the BMC area and constructed and maintained by the civic authorities.”

At 7.31pm, there was a loud thud. The flooring of the ‘Himalaya bridge’ on the arterial D N Road had given way, taking down scores of rush-hour commuters from a height of 35 feet.

CM Devendra Fadnavis announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.“I have ordered a high-level inquiry. Such an incident raises questions about the audit,” he said.

The city police has lodged an FIR against some BMC and CR officials for negligence leading to death. They may also add a charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder after ascertaining details about the role of the BMC and railways.

Cops book BMC, rly officials for death by negligence, may add culpable homicide

Shortly after the CST footover bridge disaster, joint commissioner of police (law and order) Deven Bharati said police had registered a case of causing death by negligence under Section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code against concerned officials of the BMC and railways. “More stringent sections will be applied if additional facts emerge during the course of the investigation,” he said. Another senior officer said they may add the section of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. A senior officer said welding points at the girders appeared to have rusted and will be examined as a cause of the collapse.

Given that thousands of commuters used this 30-year-old bridge every day, the BMC decided to puncture the road divider underneath to enable railway passengers to cross. A road divider approximately 4 feet in height was demolished to create the crossing after the tragedy in the evening. The BMC also summoned its structural auditor to determine if the remaining portion of the bridge should be razed. An earlier civic audit in 2017 had shown that the structure needed “minor repairs.”

Meanwhile amid the chaos, passersby including TOI employees rushed to help scores of injured people who lay helpless beneath the rubble and upon the road. The TOI office is located across the road from CSMT. Multiple willing hands pulled concrete slabs aside, halted passing vehicles and waved them on their way to the nearby GT and St George hospitals. Others began ringing police, disaster management and civic authorities to seek help. Himalaya Bridge has been the key exit point for passengers heading towards Crawford Market, BMC and the police commissionerate.

Personnel from Azad Maidan police station, MRA Marg and L T Marg responded and began to cordon off the area, watchful lest the remaining portion of the bridge should fall too. Several onlookers wanted to get closer in the craze to shoot pictures and selfies, and the authorities tried to dissuade them. Eyewitnesses said that most of the injured had been moved to hospital by the time the time BMC’s disaster management and fire brigade personnel arrived and got their act together. After a brief delay, police barricaded traffic to and from JJ flyover, Crawford Market and CSMT.

PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Rajnath Singh tweeted their condolences.

State education minister Vinod Tawde, who arrived at the site, said an inquiry would be conducted jointly by the railway and the BMC, and the guilty would be “sacked.” Congress’s former MP Milind Deora demanded that an FIR be lodged under Section 302 against BMC officers and structural auditors for giving a “wrong report.”

Few know the bridge leading out from CSMT station by its official name of Himalaya Bridge. For years, commuters had noticed the structure shake beneath their feet, especially during peak-hour pedestrian movement, or when trains passed beneath the portion leading to the platforms. The authorities had relaid the tiles in 2016, but this problem persisted. On Thursday, their worst fears were realised as the structure collapsed, causing pedestrians to plunge from a height of 35ft.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the collapse FOB spot at CSTM on Friday morning and asked BMC to submit its report fixing a primary responsibility. He already ordered a high-level probe of the incident. The chief minister also visited both GT and St George Hospital.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 16,2024

AIE.jpg

Budget carrier Air India Express has launched a new fare family, offering travelers the option to save on flight tickets by traveling light, with an increased baggage allowance of up to 40kg or no check-in luggage at all.

The new fare categories, applicable to flights to and from the UAE and other international destinations, are:

•    Xpress Lite
•    Xpress Value
•    Xpress Flex
•    Xpress Biz

Xpress Lite offers cabin baggage-only fares, making it the most economical option for passengers traveling with the airline.

Xpress Value fare includes 15 kg check-in bag fares, while Xpress Flex offers unlimited changes with no change fees. Xpress Biz features business class seats, complimentary meals, and priority services.

A subsidiary of Air India and a part of Tata Group, the airline introduced Xpress Lite on February 20 for UAE passengers who prefer traveling without check-in baggage.

Xpress Biz fares are accessible on all the new Air India Express Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Travelers can benefit from increased baggage allowances of 25kg for domestic flights and 40kg for international flights when booking Xpress Biz fares. This fare offers priority check-in, baggage, and boarding services.

Air India Express is already operating aircraft with Biz seats across 70-plus routes in India.

In a previous interview with a news channel Aloke Singh, managing director of Air India Express, stated that the carrier was looking to increase capacity to the Gulf region, including the UAE, as well as to provide better connectivity to Gulf travelers.
 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 17,2024

child.jpg

Beltangady, Mar 17: A three-year-old boy was crushed to death under the wheels of an auto-rickshaw in front of his house at Panakaje Mundadi in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada. 

The gut-wrenching tragedy took place on Saturday, March 16 morning when the boy ran out of home to the road. 

The victim has been identified as Kaushik, the son of Chandrashekhar and Usha couple. Their home is situated adjacent to the main road at Panakaje.

It is learnt that the auto-rickshaw failed to notice the boy who suddenly darted towards the road and hit him. 

Even though the injured boy was rushed to a private hospital in Ujire and later to Mangaluru, he breathed his last. 

The Beltangady traffic police have registered a case in connection with the incident.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 18,2024

crisis.jpg

Mangaluru, Mar 18: The rising temperature has become a growing concern for residents of coastal district of Dakshina Kannada, as the issue of drinking water shortage continues to worsen in several parts. 

Though the water supply of Mangaluru city has not been affected much, nearby urban local bodies, including Ullal, Kotekar, Bajpe and other parts on the outskirts of Mangaluru have been facing an acute shortage of drinking water.

Though the water level in the Thumbe vented dam across Nethravati River has started going down in the last few days, officials have ruled out possibility of rationing the water supply in the city.

According to officials, the water level at Thumbe dam of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) stood at 5.8 m as against the maximum storage capacity of 6m height on March 16. The water level at the dam during the same period last year was 5.3 metres. The water level reduced from 5.9 m on March 15 to 5.8 m on March 16 due to the scorching heat, causing evaporation.

The MCC has been drawing 160 MLD of water from the Thumbe vented dam. According to officials, without inflow, the maximum water stored in the dam will be sufficient for only 50 days. Meanwhile, the MCC has already started pumping backwater from downstream of the Thumbe vented dam back to the dam using pumpsets. Water from Thumbe dam can be drawn only if it has more than 1.5m of water in it.

DC Mullai Muhilan MP said that the district administration is closely monitoring water levels in all the dams that supply water.

The AMR dam located upstream of Thumbe dam has 18 m of water from sea level. If the water level in the Thumbe vented dam recedes, then water from the AMR dam will be released into the Thumbe dam. There is water in a dam at Biliyoor, which is located upstream of the AMR dam, the DC said.

“Drawing water for irrigation purposes from Thumbe and AMR dams has been banned,” the deputy commissioner said, adding that an order in this regard has already been issued. Some of the pockets in rural areas too have started facing water crisis.

“We have made arrangements to supply water through tankers in Ullal, Kotekar and Bajpe areas. We will not introduce water supply rationing in MCC limits for the time being,” he said and appealed to citizens to use water judiciously.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.