Tragedy Strikes Gokulpuri Metro Station: One Dead, Four Injured In Structural Collapse
Tragedy struck at the Gokulpuri Metro station in northeast Delhi on a bustling Thursday morning, claiming one life and leaving four individuals wounded as a segment of the station's structure collapsed onto commuters traversing along Chaprana Road.
The calamitous event occurred at approximately 11 am, as per authorities, when portions of the station's wall disintegrated, plummeting onto the thoroughfare below. Identified as Vinod Kumar Pandey, a 53-year-old resident of Karawal Nagar, the deceased was among those unfortunate commuters. The injured, including Ajit Kumar (21), Monu Kumar (19), and Sandeep Kumar (27) from Gokulpuri, along with Mohammed Tazir (24) from Loni, suffered varying degrees of harm in the incident.
In response to the incident, the police filed charges against the Metro contractors and builders, citing sections 337 and 304A of the Indian Penal Code for negligence. Additionally, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) took disciplinary action, suspending two officials pending an investigation into the matter.
Eyewitnesses recounted the horrifying scene as chunks of concrete descended upon vehicles and pedestrians, causing chaos and destruction along the arterial road. Sandeep Kumar, one of the injured, narrated how he and his companions narrowly avoided the falling slabs while riding a scooter, although Ajit Kumar sustained a fractured leg in the ordeal.
Local residents and emergency responders sprang into action, swiftly mobilizing to extricate victims trapped beneath the debris. Despite their efforts, Pandey succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.
Following the incident, the Metro station underwent an eight-hour closure for repairs, during which authorities worked diligently to mitigate further risks. DMRC officials announced the suspension of a manager and a junior engineer pending further inquiry into the structural failure.
In the wake of the tragedy, the DMRC extended condolences to Pandey's family and offered financial assistance to the affected, including an ex-gratia payment of ₹25 lakh for the deceased's kin and varying amounts for the injured, underscoring the gravity of the situation and the corporation's commitment to support those impacted by the unfortunate event.