
BANGALORE: Two people were injured on Tuesday when a metro barricade fell on them near the ISKCON temple, west of Chord Road.
The incident occurred at around 9.30 am while motorists, Nitesh and Mahesh, were on their way to Yeshwantpur. They sustained minor injuries and were treated at the St Teresa’s Hospital.
An eye-witness recalled that the riders had a fortunate escape, or else they would have been mowed down by the truck coming close behind.
Nagapura corporator, S Harish, after visiting the accident site, said that the metro work was being carried out without adhering to proper safety procedures.
“Metro officials claim they are following international standards of safety, but that is not the reality. The number of accidents that have occurred are proof of it,” Harish said.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), however, has blamed the motorists for the accident.
“There is no way a barricade can simply ‘fall’ over. The motorists would have hit the barricade. Therefore, it is not the department’s mistake,” a BMRCL spokesperson said.
Harish counter argued that if the BMRCL doesn’t take necessary action soon, the work on reach 3 (Swastik to Yeshwantpur) will not be permitted to continue.
It should be remembered that it was on the same reach 3 stretch that a heavy concrete block had fallen on the road in the middle of moving traffic from a height of 15 metres on September 23. Luckily, no injuries were reported.