A probe into the Mumbai Metro slab collapse near Mulund found serious procedural lapses and poor supervision as the cause. Mumbai Metro authorities imposed a Rs 5 crore penalty on contractors, while compensation was provided to the victim’s family and the injured
Mumbai Metro Line-4 slab collapse incident happened on February 14. (Pic/Rajendra Aklekar)
A detailed probe into the Mumbai Metro Line-4 slab collapse that happened on February 14 near Mulund has found serious procedural violations and inadequate supervision responsible for the fatal incident.
The incident occurred when a precast parapet segment collapsed onto a busy road, killing one person and injuring three others. The deceased has been identified as Ramdhani Yadav.
A penalty of Rs 5 crore has been imposed on the contractors for negligence. The family of the deceased, identified as Ramdhani Yadav, has been paid Rs 15 lakh by the authority, with an additional Rs 24.5 lakh compensation from the contractor. Medical expenses of the injured have also been covered; one has been discharged, while two remain stable.
According to the preliminary incident report prepared by a special intensive safety inspection team, a copy of which is with mid-day, the accident occurred when a welder engaged by the contractor inadvertently cut temporary supports of a newly erected parapet segment before stitch concreting had been completed, rendering the structure unstable. The segment subsequently fell from the slab level to the ground.
The probe found no structural design flaw, material defect or workmanship issue in the precast element. Instead, it cited a string of lapses: no written authorisation prior to support removal, absence of joint pre-removal inspection, lack of engineering verification or Request For Information (RFI) clearance, and no defined dismantling checklist.
Investigators also noted the absence of any tagging or colour-coding system to distinguish completed segments from incomplete ones, which contributed to the error.
Crucially, the report flagged inadequate site supervision, stating that instructions were not properly conveyed and critical activities were carried out without oversight. It also pointed to reliance on verbal instructions and the absence of a permit-to-remove support system.
Following the incident, the project authority constituted special inspection teams and ordered corridor-wide safety audits. A set of corrective measures has been mandated, including strict permit systems for support removal; joint inspections involving site, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) and safety engineers; mandatory toolbox talks; dedicated supervision for dismantling works; and implementation of tagging/colour-coding protocols.
Authorities have directed the contractor and the general consultant to replace the team responsible for the contract package and ensure compliance before work resumes.
Construction activity on Metro Green Line 4 has been temporarily scaled down, with only safety-related works permitted until compliance is verified. The final detailed investigation report is awaited.
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