NEW DELHI (Metro Rail & Steel): In a harrowing incident, a massive 17-meter-long side beam, part of a construction gantry used in laying tracks for the under-construction Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, collapsed and struck a car early on Sunday. The 22-year-old occupant of the car, Uttar Pradesh police constable Amit Upadhyay from Bulandshahr, sustained severe injuries to his shoulder, chest, and face. He was en route to Haridwar after visiting a friend in Meerut.
Recalling the terrifying incident, Upadhyay, who is currently hospitalized, said, “The rear of my car was completely crushed under the beam. I recall being trapped in the car for about five minutes, with passersby attempting to remove the windshield before I lost consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness, I found myself in the hospital.”
This is the second such incident in four months in the region. In July, at the Shatabdi Nagar station in Meerut, four masons were injured, with two in critical condition, when a support slab structure collapsed during slab-making operations.
Puneet Vats, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) for the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the organization overseeing the project, stated, “Our officials are investigating any potential mechanical faults that may have caused this incident.”
