One killed, 3 hurt as parapet wall slab of metro rail line falls onto vehicles in Mumbai

Mumbai: One person died, and three others sustained injuries after a slab from the girder bridge of the under-construction Metro Line 4 collapsed onto vehicles in Mumbai’s Mulund area on Saturday afternoon, according to police and civic authorities.

Officials said a section of the parapet wall fell near the Johnson and Johnson factory on the busy LBS Road shortly after noon, crashing onto an autorickshaw and a Skoda car. Both vehicles were badly damaged in the incident.

The deceased was identified as Ramdhan Yadav, while the injured were Rajkumar Indrajeet Yadav (45), Mahendra Pratap Yadav (52), and Deepa Ruhiya (40), a fire brigade official told PTI.

The official added that Rajkumar’s condition is critical and he has been admitted to the ICU of a nearby hospital, while Mahendra and Ruhiya are in stable condition.

In a statement, the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) said a portion of the parapet segment fell at around 12.15 pm near pier 196 of the metro construction site close to the Mulund Fire Station, hitting a passing autorickshaw.

The statement said the metro project team is present at the site and is carrying out relief work while securing the area in coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and disaster management authorities. An inquiry has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the collapse.

Metro Line 4 is being built between Wadala in south-central Mumbai and neighbouring Thane, with a significant stretch running over the busy LBS Road that connects areas such as Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, and Mulund.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad criticised the state government over the incident and asked whether the lives of Mumbai residents had "become so cheap".

In a post on X, she said officials appeared more concerned about promoting infrastructure projects than ensuring public safety.

The Lok Sabha MP called for accountability, citing possible lapses in safety measures at the site, especially in view of heavy traffic in the area.

She also questioned whether quality and technical safety standards were being compromised in the rush to complete metro projects, and said routine announcements of inquiries after such accidents were inadequate.

"While development is necessary, it should not come at the cost of citizens' lives," she said, demanding strict action against those responsible.