Free Press Journal

Mumbai Shocker: Auto Driver Crushed To Death In Mulund As Metro Bridge Parapet Collapses; MMRDA Slaps 5 Crore Fine

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, an autorickshaw driver was crushed to death and three others were injured after a portion of the parapet wall of an under-construction Metro rail bridge collapsed onto a passing autorickshaw and a car in Mulund West on Saturday afternoon. The injured were rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared the auto driver person dead. Hospital authorities said one of the injured person is in a critical condition, while the others are out of danger. 6x4 Ft Concrete Slab Falls on Moving Auto and Skoda on LBS Road The incident occurred at around 12.20 pm near Johnson & Johnson Company on the busy LBS Road in Mulund West. According to the BMC Disaster Management cell, a portion of the parapet wall of the elevated Metro bridge measuring approximately 6 ft by 4 ft collapsed and fell onto a moving autorickshaw, injuring the driver and two passengers. A woman driving a Skoda car that was passing by was also injured in the incident. Emergency response teams, including the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), local police, Metro staff, personnel from the BMCs T ward office and 108 ambulance services, were immediately rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. Ranjan Vyas, a passerby, said, The autorickshaw was crushed from the rear after the debris fell on it. The driver was bent sideways, with his legs trapped inside. The slab had also fallen onto the bonnet of the Skoda car. Nearly 25 of us tried to lift the concrete piece before help arrived, but it was too heavy to move. The injured were rushed to a nearby Upasani multi-speciality Hospital for treatment, where Ramdhan Yadav, auto driver, was declared brought dead. The other injured were identified as Rajkumar Yadav (45), who remains in critical condition, and Mahendra Pratap Yadav (52) and Deepa Ruhiya (40), both of whom are admitted and stated to be stable. Authorities immediately cordoned off the area, and traffic movement along the busy LBS Road stretch was disrupted for some time. The damaged vehicles were later shifted to the side of the road and covered with a green cloth. Residents Vent Anger Over Safety Lapses on Crowded Route The incident triggered anger among local residents, who gathered at the site in large numbers and questioned the authorities over safety lapses. Mihir Shah, a local resident, said, No precautionary measures were taken while carrying out such hazardous work. This is a busy route, always crowded with vehicles, and such negligence has now cost innocent lives. In fact, at several sites safety precautions are inadequate. Congress spokesperson Rakesh Shetty, who is a local resident, blamed the contractor for the tragedy and demanded strict action against him. Newly-elected mayor Ritu Tawde visited the site and also met the relatives of the victim in the hospital. The parapet segment had been placed yesterday. There definitely seems to be negligence. If the work was done recently, the stretch should have been barricaded, she said. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has initiated a detailed probe into the incident which occurred anear Pier P196 of the elevated Metro Line 4 stretch close to Mulund Fire Station raising serious concerns over construction quality and public safety. Notably, no construction activity was underway at the time of the collapse, prompting questions about workmanship and structural integrity. Contractor Slapped with 5 Crore Penalty, Medical Costs to be Borne The MMRDA said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 crore on the contractor and has begun a comprehensive investigation. MMRDA Said, `` The condition of the injured is being closely monitored and all necessary medical assistance is being extended, . It added that it will bear the full medical expenses of the injured and provide financial assistance to the victims family as per policy, with priority disbursement. The project team secured the site soon after the incident, and the affected stretch has been barricaded. A detailed structural safety assessment is underway in coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), disaster management authorities, local police and the fire brigade. High-Level Committee to Probe Construction Quality and Supervision A high-level inquiry committee headed by Basavraj M. Bhadragond, Director (Projects), MMRDA, has been constituted to determine the exact cause of the collapse. The committee will examine construction methodology, quality control measures, supervision mechanisms and compliance records, with a report sought on priority. As a precautionary measure, construction activity on the immediate stretch has been temporarily halted. The Mulund incident comes barely five months after a similar mishap on the under-construction Metro Line 5 corridor in Bhiwandi, where a seven- to eight-foot-long metal rod fell from an elevated structure and pierced an autorickshaw, severely injuring Sonu Ali, a daily wage labourer and the sole breadwinner of his family. In that case, the contractor and project management consultant were fined up to Rs 55 lakh and directed to bear the victims medical expenses. Opposition leaders slammed the ruling dispensation and the MMRDA over what they termed repeated safety lapses. Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray said on X that falling metro components, flooding on Metro Line 3 and poor barricading reflected systemic failures, alleging that penalties were inadequate and contractors continued to receive projects. Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad termed the Mulund collapse a murder caused by administrative negligence and demanded strict action against responsible contractors and officials. Actress Himanshi Khurana Gets 10 Crore Extortion Call From Gangster Zeeshan Akhtar Tied To Baba Siddique Murder BJP MLA Claims He Had Flagged Contractor's Poor Work Earlier BJP Mulund MLA Mihir Kotecha said he had earlier flagged concerns about the contractors workmanship during the Nagpur Assembly session last year, claiming he had shared evidence of substandard work across multiple projects. Metro Line 4 has faced several hurdles, including delays in civil works after the RelianceAstaldi consortium failed to meet timelines on metro construction along LBS Marg, prompting the appointment of a new subcontractor. Delays also impacted procurement plans, with rolling stock manufacturer Alstom reportedly exiting the project, forcing the MMRDA to invite fresh tenders for metro coaches. Trial runs on the GaimukhVijay Garden stretch were conducted in September 2025 using Metro Line 2B rakes. Once fully operational, the 35.3-km Metro Line 4 corridor connecting Wadala and Kasarvadavali, with an extension to Gaimukh, is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Mumbai and Thane. However, the latest incident has renewed scrutiny of construction practices and safety oversight in the citys expanding metro network. An FIR has been registered at the Mulund police station against office-bearers of Milon Road Buildtech in connection with the accident, under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), along with Sections 324(5) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. The case was filed based on a complaint lodged by Police Sub-Inspector Sunil Pawar, and further investigation is underway, with no arrests made so far. To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/