Andheri Bridge Collapse: Inquiry Finds Railways Responsible For Accident Which Claimed One Life
The Gokhale foot-over-bridge, which connects Andheri East to Andheri West, collapsed on July 3 in the early hours of the day.
Mumbai, July 18: An official inquiry conducted into the Andheri bridge collapse case has pinned the blame on officials and staff employed by the Railways for the fatal accident which claimed one life and left four others with grievous injuries.
The inquiry, conducted by Sushil Chandra, Commissioner of Railways Safety, Western Circle, attributes the cause of accident to "heavy/deep corrosion and pitting of cantilever steel brackets" supporting the pathway.
The report also blamed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, accusing the civic body of adding "additional load of various cables, sand, paver blocks etc without taking permission from the Western Railways."
The details of the inquiry have been submitted to the central government, which will take action as deemed appropriate. The report, in its conclusion, says the accident is "classified as 'Failure of Railway Staff' and others".
The Gokhale foot-over-bridge, which connects Andheri East to Andheri West, collapsed on July 3 in the early hours of the day. The accident was reported at 7:35 am. Five workers were injured the attack. A woman among them later succumbed to death at Mumbai's Cooper Hospital.
Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had called for an inquiry into the incident, seeking a report within 15 days.
Goyal also announced a fresh audit of all foot-over-bridges in Mumbai region. The Minister said at least 455 bridges will be surveyed jointly by the BMC and Railways within the next six months.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2018 10:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).