A portion of a Metro construction slab fell onto Mira-Bhayandar Road in Mira Road East on Monday, causing panic among motorists and pedestrians and raising fresh concerns over safety at ongoing infrastructure sites.
The incident occurred around 11:50 am near Sanjoli Jewellers and Thunga Hospital, close to Medetiya Nagar Station on Metro Line 9. Debris from the construction activity fell onto the busy road, while a school van passing through the area reportedly narrowly escaped after the falling material struck its roof.
According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), debris-clearing and material-shifting work was underway at the station when a crane-operated material basket came into contact with granite stones stacked near the foot overbridge. The impact caused some of the stones to become dislodged and fall into the barricaded area below.
The authority has initiated action following the incident and imposed penalties on agencies associated with the project. J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd (JKIL), the project contractor, has been fined Rs 10 crore, while architectural finishing contractor NA Gajanan has been penalised Rs 1.5 crore. The project’s General Consultant, Systra-CEG, has also been fined Rs 1 crore.
MMRDA clarified that the granite stones did not fall on or directly hit any school vehicle, “contrary to reports being circulated on some platforms”. It also stated that no students were inside the vehicle and that no injuries were reported.
Visuals from the site showed the school van with apparent damage to its roof, while debris was scattered across the wet carriageway. Traffic continued to move through the affected stretch as commuters navigated around the debris.
The incident has intensified concerns over construction-site safety along busy roads in the Mira Road area, where Metro-related work is ongoing. Motorists and pedestrians remain exposed to construction activity in heavily trafficked zones.
The incident also comes months after a Metro-related accident in Mulund on February 14, when a section of a parapet wall from an elevated Metro bridge fell onto traffic. The incident resulted in one death and injuries to three people.
Source: CNBC TV18
