Flyover portion collapses; three hurt, cars crushed

 Tribune News Service 

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New Delhi, February 12

Three persons, including a businessman and his wife, were injured and two cars were crushed when a portion of an under-construction flyover in west Delhi's Pitampura area collapsed this morning. 

The accident led to severe traffic jams on the route that has heavy vehicular movement.

The contractor under whose supervision the construction of the Wazirabad-Vikaspuri elevated corridor was taking place fled after the collapse. The police have registered a case of negligence against him and are investigating the cause behind the accident.

"Our investigations indicate a mechanical fault. It appears that the straps supporting the side wing of a pillar of the flyover snapped leading to the collapse," said a police officer.

The concrete wing, weighing several tones, collapsed on two cars passing below at about 10.30 am on Thursday. Along with the debris, a labourer, Bechan Singh, fell down. He was standing on the side wing that collapsed. Singh has suffered multiple fractures, including one on his hipbones.

Among the two damaged cars, the worst hit was a Hyundai i10 in which a couple was seated. The block collapsed on the car's bonnet, leading to injuries to its occupants, a local businessman Sanjay Bhadauria and his wife Vedika. The other damaged car was a Maruti Suzuki Alto that was taking a U-turn at that spot. While the Alto car was also severely damaged, its occupant escaped uninjured.

Eyewitnesses said a crowded low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation bus escaped the incident. "The bus was immediately ahead of the i10 car and passed the accident spot only seconds before the collapse. The damage would have been severe had the debris fallen on the bus," said an eyewitness Kamlesh Chandan.

Panic spread as traffic on the road came to a standstill. Other commuters and local businessmen rushed to help the injured. The couple were rescued from the debris and the three injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Police said their lives are out of danger.

The Traffic Police said the incident forced them to divert the traffic from the Pitampura route to Peeragarhi Chowk. "The jams continued for several hours after the accident. Normalcy was restored only by evening," said a traffic police officer. 

The construction of the elevated corridor was started by the Sheila Dikshit government in 2013. The flyover is divided into three elevated corridors: one from Vikaspuri to Meerabagh, the second from Mangolpuri to Madhuban Chowk and the third between Madhuban Chowk and Mukarba Chowk.