A critical safety lapse occurred on Sunday in the Kashimira area of Mira Bhayandar, adjacent to Mumbai, when a heavy cement slab plunged from the elevated corridor of the under-construction Metro Line 9. A 23-year-old pedestrian named Shadab was walking beneath the structure when the falling block struck him directly on the head. The blow caused severe trauma and heavy bleeding, causing him to collapse on the road immediately. This marks the third safety-related incident along this corridor within a span of just a few days, intensifying scrutiny over safety measures implemented at the construction zone.
Injured Youth Remained Unnoticed for Nearly an Hour
Following the impact, a distressing scene unfolded along the roadway as Shadab lay critically hurt. Because parked vehicles obstructed the line of sight from the main carriageway, passing motorists failed to spot him immediately. Shadab remained lying by the roadside in a pool of blood for nearly an hour before pedestrians eventually noticed him. Bystanders acted swiftly, arranging an auto-rickshaw to rush him to Wockhardt Hospital, where medical personnel admitted him for emergency treatment.
Growing Public Anger Over Recurring Site Hazards
The incident has triggered widespread outrage among local residents and regular commuters who frequently pass under the elevated transit works. Witnesses pointed out that basic site protection norms were visibly missing during ongoing construction. The absence of adequate safety nets or overhead catch platforms has repeatedly led to construction debris falling onto live traffic below. Agitated residents have called for strict legal accountability against the project managers, demanding stringent action and adequate financial compensation for the victim.
Police Await Statement to Register Official Complaint
An officer from the Kashimira Police Station confirmed the occurrence of the incident and stated that Shadab remains unfit to provide an official statement due to the severity of his head injury. Investigators expect to register a formal First Information Report on Monday once initial medical updates and statements are recorded. Shadab runs a mattress shop in the Kashimira locality. His father, who was away from Mumbai at the time of the mishap, began his return journey immediately after receiving news of the injury.
Allegations of Negligence Against Contractor
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Sandeep Rane explained that Shadab was passing under the combined elevated metro corridor and double-decker flyover when the block fell from above. Rane revealed that the impact resulted in a severe skull fracture. He criticized the complete lack of barricades or warning zones beneath the work site to deter pedestrian movement, attributing the incident to clear negligence on the part of contractor J Kumar. Rane also recalled that just weeks earlier, heavy stones had fallen onto the roadway along the same corridor, narrowly missing an occupied school van.
