Crane falls at Metro site

Crane falls at Metro site
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: After complaints over the shoddy maintenance of CMH Road — following commencement of Namma Metro work on the stretch — an accident on Monday has added fire to residents’ protests. A crane that was being operated for earthworks on the road toppled onto a footpath, leading to protests from residents and traders. There were no injuries.
The incident happened at 8 pm, when the crane driver reportedly lost balance, causing it to topple opposite a hotel on CMH Road. As the crane fell on its side, it smashed the barricade on the left and fell on the footpath, almost reaching the entrance of the hotel. “Since some cable-digging work was being taken up for Metro, there was no movement on the stretch. Otherwise, this could have led to serious injuries,’’ said Dinakar, a resident.
Residents and traders maintained the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) and contractors should adopt better safety standards while undertaking the work. Residents alleged that some crane drivers were not “qualified’’ enough. The protesters claimed it was sheer “negligence’’ that led to the accident.
“Already, people are hit by the poor condition of the road after the work commenced. The officials can’t dismiss it as a minor incident. The consequences would have been major if people were moving on the footpath,’’ said trader Imtiaz Ahmed.
BMRC probing accident
According to a BMRC spokesperson, the incident happened when the driver was operating the crane to lift a pile cap shutter. “We are ascertaining whether it was a technical fault or the driver’s fault,” he said.