At a construction site for the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in Chennai’s Adambakkam, a concrete girder collapsed during the ongoing work on an additional MRTS line between Velachery and St. Thomas Mount. The incident took place as a 40-meter long girder was being launched over the elevated alignment near Thillai Ganga Nagar. The collapse occurred due to the failure of a lifting jack on one side, according to an official release.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries as the construction area had been cordoned off, and necessary precautions were taken, including the diversion of road traffic. The railway administration is actively working to clear the fallen girder, and an inquiry has been initiated to investigate the incident, as reported by Southern Railways.
Despite the incident causing temporary vehicular traffic delays, the police examined other structures along the stretch and restored normalcy to the situation, preventing any potential untoward incidents.
The MRTS project’s final phase, which commenced in 2008, faced prolonged delays primarily due to challenges in land acquisition, specifically on the 500-meter stretch between Adambakkam and St Thomas Mount. After overcoming legal obstacles, work resumed three years ago, with recent deployment of box girders. The girder collapse near Thillai Ganga Nagar occurred while it was being launched using hydraulic jacks, and it was safely lowered afterward with synchronized hydraulic jacks, according to the Southern Railway’s statement.