CHENNAI: A biker was crushed to death after two I-girders, which were recently erected, collapsed on Thursday night at a Chennai Metro Rail construction site near the main gate of the L&T head office in Manapakkam.
While the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and police officially confirmed the death of the biker, police sources said one more person could have gotten trapped under the girder. “It is being ascertained whether the motorcycle had a pillion rider,” a CMRL statement said.
The crash happened around 10.30pm along Corridor 5 of the Chennai Metro Phase II expansion project. According to CMRL officials, the girder, part of an elevated viaduct, came crashing down after one of its supporting frames slipped.
Police fear one more person may be trapped under concrete girder
In elevated metro construction sites, precast I-girders are usually lifted and placed between piers to form the base of the viaduct over which metro trains will run.
Senior CMRL officials rushed to the site, and the statement from the agency said efforts to clear the mammoth concrete structure were under way on a “war footing” in coordination with contractors.
“Only after the beams are completely removed, can we recover the body of the deceased and begin the identification process. Since the bike has been crushed, identification of the victim may take a little longer. As of now, one person has died, and we suspect one more may have got trapped under the girder,” a police source said.
Movement of vehicles between Porur and St Thomas Mount, which was initially affected, resumed after some time. Emergency services have been deployed, and the area has been cordoned off to facilitate clearance and investigation work. Vehicles coming from St Thomas Mount to Porur were diverted at Manapakkam junction, sources said.
The accident follows a similar mishap in January last year when a concrete beam from an under-construction section of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) fell at Thillai Ganga Nagar near Adambakkam.
While no injuries were reported in that accident, the recurring incidents have raised public alarm over safety compliance and structural integrity at key infrastructure sites. A formal inquiry is expected to be launched into the latest collapse to determine possible lapses in construction standards and site supervision.