A 54-year-old plumber was killed after an iron barricade at a Mumbai Metro construction site fell onto his moving two-wheeler on LBS Road in Vikhroli on September 18, according to an FIR registered by Parksite police. The incident has triggered an inquiry by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) into the safety arrangements at the site.
The deceased, Wasi Haider Ismaili, a Ghatkopar resident, was travelling towards Mulund for work when the accident took place near the Rosary building at around 11.30am, the FIR states. The barricade had been installed around the Metro construction work and fell onto his vehicle while he was travelling along the road.
According to the complaint filed by Ismaili’s son, Ali, a younger brother informed him about the accident at around 11.54am. Ismaili was taken to Rajawadi Hospital and admitted to the emergency ward. A doctor declared him dead at around 12.35pm.
The FIR alleges that the barricade was not secured properly and that adequate safety precautions had not been taken by the site supervisor during its installation. The complaint names the project director, manager, site supervisor and the company concerned, alleging negligence in connection with the Metro construction work. Police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances.
An MMRDA official said the agency was conducting an inquiry to establish the exact sequence of events. The official said the agency’s preliminary assessment was that the bikers may have collided with the barricades, after which they fell. The official added that the circumstances would be established after examination of the site and other available evidence.
The death is the latest in a series of fatal incidents linked to ongoing Metro construction in Mumbai. On September 12, two workers were killed after an iron staging structure collapsed at the under-construction Metro 4 station at Bhakti Park in Wadala. MMRDA subsequently initiated action against those responsible for that incident.
The Vikhroli accident also follows a February 14 incident in Mulund, where a precast parapet slab fell onto the road during Metro 4 work. One person was killed and three others were injured in that incident. The cases have placed construction-site protection and the management of traffic moving alongside work zones under continued scrutiny by investigating authorities.
Parksite police are examining the accident site and available evidence, while the MMRDA inquiry is expected to establish how the barricade was installed, why it fell and whether the required safety measures were in place.
