On Saturday afternoon, a steel reinforcement cage fell on a moving sedan on the Eastern Express Highway.
Following the incident, the MMRDA announced a Rs 2-crore penalty on the contractor and ordered a detailed investigation into the collapse. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is executing the project through a contractor, however claimed no injuries were reported. The incident that comes close on the heels of a quality issue reported at Kasarwadavli flyover leading to it being shut a year after its inauguration has now triggered concerns among experts over the quality of construction and safety. .
The Naupada police team that reached out to the driver said they refused to file a complaint. A station diary entry has been made, said an official. Such incidents are unacceptable, and any lapse in construction safety will not be tolerated,” the authority said in a statement, adding that corrective measures would be enforced to prevent a recurrence.
The incident has raised serious questions over construction safety on one of the city’s busiest traffic corridors. With vehicles streaming through the stretch through the day, a similar collapse during peak-hour traffic could have had devastating consequences. “We view this incident with utmost seriousness.