A heavy crane is being used to clear the wreckage at the accident site where a pillar supporting a section of the Delhi Metro's partially built bridge collapsed at Jamrudpur in South Delhi on Sunday. Photo : Rajeev Bhatt.

New Delhi (PTI): Five persons were killed and 15 others injured when an under-construction bridge of the Delhi Metro collapsed here on Sunday, prompting its chief E Sreedharan to resign taking moral responsibility for the worst mishap involving the modern transport system.

The accident took place at around 5 am when a pillar of the bridge gave in during some construction work near Lady Sriram College in South Delhi's Lajpat Nagar.

Four labourers and a 28-year-old engineer of Gammon India, the contractor of the project, were killed in the mishap, the second such incident in nine months.

DMRC set up a four-member committee to examine reasons for the accident and it would submit its report in 10 days.

Sreedharan quits

Describing the accident as "more serious" than the one that happened in Laxmi Nagar last year, Mr. Sreedharan announced his resignation, taking "full moral responsibility" for it.

"As the head of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, I take moral responsibility for the incident...So I have decided to resign and I have put in papers and I have sent it to Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit," said the 77-year-old Sreedharan, who has been the DMRC Managing Director since its inception 12 years ago.

He, however, said there will be no impact on the DMRC projects to be completed before Commonwealth Games next year.

Delhi government, however, said it will not take any "hasty decision" and will consider "what is good for the city".

"I have to take the responsibility. It may not be my mistake, but as the head of the organisation I have to take moral responsibility and I think it is right to resign," Mr. Sreedharan told a press conference after visiting the site.

"Even one casualty is too many for DMRC and this incident has claimed five lives and I have taken this decision," said the renowned technocrat whose name has become synonymous with the Delhi Metro.

Comparing the mishap with the one that occurred in East Delhi's Laxmi Nagar last October, Sreedharan said "today is still a bigger jolt because this accident is more serious".

Asked whether his decision will delay the Metro projects which are scheduled to be completed before the Commonwealth Games, he said, "the views you are making may be correct but my personal conviction in this matter cannot be compromised."

He, however, added that "There are a lot of competent people. No one is indispensable in any organisation and I am sure that DMRC will be able to complete all the projects well before time."

On Mr. Sreedharan's resignation, spokesman for the Lt Governor's office said "the decision will have to be taken at a political level." The DMRC is under the Urban Development Ministry and the L-G alone will not take a decision, he said.

"We are not going to take any hasty decision on the resignation of Sreedharan," P K Tripathi, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, told PTI.

Mr. Sreedharan had earlier offered to be relieved saying he was old.

'Problem in the design'

The Delhi Metro attributed the accident to a "problem in the design" of the pillar. "We were trying to rectify it.

There was a defect in the peer cap which caused the displacement," Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal said.

The accident also caused flooding in the area as the pillar fell on a water pipeline making it burst. Traffic was also diverted while power supply has also been disconnected to carry out rescue operations.

The accident also saw some of the labourers and locals alleging that they had informed authorities about the instability of the structure.

A labourer said there were people working around at the spot at the time of incident. "Some problem was there with the support system and it could not handle the load leading to the collapse," he said.

Kuldeep, another local, alleged they have seen two cracks on the pillars earlier and had informed authorities about it but no action was taken.

However, Mr. Sreedharan said Delhi Metro had not received any complaints in this regard.

Delhi Police registered a case under Section 304-A (causing death due to negligence) of Indian of Penal Code. "A case has been registered. No names have been mentioned in the FIR," a senior police officer said.

Compensation

Ms. Dikshit said the DMRC will pay Rs five lakh to the kin of those killed in the accident, besides giving Rs two lakh for those grievously injured.

On the action against those responsible for the mishap, Ms. Dikshit said it was upto the Delhi Metro "to take whatever action they can because they have such a fine reputation they would not like to ruin. I am sure they will take action."

The four-member committee, which would examine reasons for the accident, include Prof A K Nagpal (Civil Engg, IIT-Delhi), Prof B R Bose (Structural Engg of DCE), Steven Lowry (Project Director of General Consultants for DMRC) and Rajan Kataria (Head of Design DMRC).

A public helpline was set up to provide necessary information related to the mishap.

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