Six Dead, 34 Injured In Mumbai Foot Over-Bridge Collapses near CSTM Station; Was Declared ‘Safe’ In Audit

A foot over-bridge collapsed near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station on Thursday evening (14 March) which resulted in the death of six people and injured 34 more, Times of India has reported.

The casualty figure may rise.

The bridge which receives a daily footfall of about 1.5 to 2 lakh collapsed at about 7.31 pm. As per the report, a construction audit in 2017-18 had declared the bridge ‘safe’, while recommended minor repairs.

Soon after the collapse, the Central Railways claimed that the bridge was maintained by the BMC and civic authorities despite being connected to the CSTM station.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He said that the incident raised questioned over the bridge audit and ordered a high-level inquiry.

The Mumbai police has lodged an FIR against BMC and Central Railway officials for negligence leading to death. More stringent sections would be subsequently applied based on emerging information.