Were utility cables to blame for the collapse of the Gokhale road overbridge (ROB) at Andheri railway station yesterday? As the pedestrian walkway along the ROB came crashing down, it revealed a thick bed of utility cables that had laid hidden on the bridge, under a heavy layer of paver blocks. The bridge was not designed to take this additional load, and this could be the cause of the crash.

At least, that is what Western Railway (WR) officials suggest. They blame BMC officials for allegedly allowing utility companies to lay the wires on the ROB surreptitiously. On the other hand, the BMC claims they have not interfered with the bridge at all, and it is more likely that the railways' design is to blame for the collapse. Far from uniting to investigate the cause of the disaster, the two authorities are busy playing the blame game.