CMRL Sacks 4 Engineers, Slaps ₹1 Cr Fine on Contractor Over Manapakkam Beam Collapse

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has terminated four engineers and levied a ₹1 crore fine on its contractor following a horrific beam collapse at a construction site in Manapakkam that killed a motorcyclist.

The accident occurred on June 13 just near the L&T head office building in Manapakkam, when massive concrete girders, each weighing 40 feet long, collapsed after one of the supporting A-frames gave way. The accident happened right as a motorcyclist was riding underneath the structure, killing him instantly.

A week following the incident, CMRL conducted an internal probe and found gross negligence on the side of four engineers who worked on the project. The investigation, as reported by Thanthi TV, determined that their omission to adhere to safety measures had directly caused the deadly accident.

Reacting to this, CMRL has sacked all four engineers from service. “Based on the findings of the investigation, stringent disciplinary action was initiated,” the agency added.

In addition, the private contractor company hired to undertake the construction has also been penalized ₹1 crore for violating safety rules and implementation lapses. CMRL once again asserted that safety could not be compromised in high-value public infrastructure projects and assured that remedial measures are being implemented to avoid such accidents from occurring in the future.

The collapsed beams were only installed a week before the accident.CMRL’s official release verified the collapse was “when one of its supporting A-frames gave way by slipping,” pointing to glaring flaws in the temporary support system of the structure.

The accident raised fears for the safety of workers and commuters at metro stations during construction work citywide. CMRL has assured greater safety checks and tighter enforcement of engineering procedures in the future.