- CMRL fined Larsen & Toubro Rs 1 crore after a fatal accident at its Manapakkam site
- A 43-year-old worker died due to the collapse of two I-girders during Phase II construction
- L&T was held primarily responsible for safety lapses in the accident by CMRL's enquiry
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has imposed a Rs 1 crore penalty on its contractor, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), after an accident at its Manapakkam construction site led to the death of a 43-year-old worker on Thursday. The penalty follows an internal investigation that held the contractor primarily responsible for the collapse of two massive I-girders.
The accident occurred during construction activities for Phase II of the Chennai Metro. CMRL stated that a supporting frame slipped, causing the girders to fall.
The victim, identified as Ramesh, hailed from Nagercoil and was on duty when the structure collapsed.
An enquiry committee constituted by CMRL submitted its report on June 18, attributing primary responsibility to L&T for safety lapses. Consequently, two key safety officials from the contractor, the Chief Safety Manager (ESHS) and the Senior ESHS Manager, have been removed from the project.
The committee also held the General Consultant (GC), tasked with supervising the project, secondarily responsible. Following this, the Safety Engineer and the Senior Deputy Resident Engineer from the GC team have also been relieved of their duties.
CMRL has extended financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the victim's family, while L&T provided another Rs 20 lakh.
The incident has sparked concern over safety protocols at large infrastructure projects in the city. CMRL has pledged to reinforce safety oversight and ensure stricter accountability on all sites going forward.
