23 September,2026 11:00 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
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A 23-year-old man suffered severe head injuries after a wooden plank fell on him at an under-construction Metro bridge site in Maharashtra's Thane district, following which police registered a case against a private contractor's storekeeper, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place on September 20 near the Kashimira Naka overbridge, where construction work for the Metro was underway.
According to police, the victim was walking near an under-construction pier when a wooden plank slipped through a gap in the elevated bridge structure and struck him on the head.
The man sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment, a police official said.
The incident has raised questions over safety measures at the construction site, particularly in an area where members of the public were able to move beneath the elevated structure.
Police officials conducted an inspection of the site following the incident and reviewed CCTV footage to establish how the plank had fallen.
The investigation found that the wooden plank had allegedly been left unattended on the bridge after it was used during construction work, officials said.
Investigators also identified several safety lapses at the site. These included construction materials that had not been properly secured and the absence of protective netting intended to prevent objects from falling from the elevated structure.
Police said the site also lacked adequate barricades and warning measures to prevent members of the public from entering or passing through areas beneath the construction work.
The absence of such safeguards was noted during the inspection, officials said.
Investigators are examining the responsibility of those involved in storing and securing construction materials at the site. The case has been registered against the contractor's storekeeper based on the findings of the preliminary investigation.
Police registered a case on Monday against the private contractor's storekeeper under Section 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The police said the case was filed after the inspection and review of available CCTV footage indicated lapses in the handling and securing of construction material.
The investigation is continuing, with officials examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and the safety arrangements at the Metro construction site.
(With inputs from PTI)
