Western Railway (WR) train services came to a standstill as a pedestrian Road Over Bridge (ROB) collapsed on Tuesday morning between Andheri and Vile Parle railway station. A part of the Gokhale bridge that connects Andheri east and Andheri west gave way disrupting the Western railway line and causing inconvenience to office goers.
Four fire brigade vehicles were rushed to the spot and the NDRF team rescued two people from under the debris of the bridge.
The incident has garnered criticism from all political parties who are accusing the railway administration of being neglectful in terms of maintenance of the bridge. Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar has alleged that the Gokhale bridge collapsed due to irresponsibility from the railway’s side.
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Although Gokhale ROB essentially falls under the administration of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the civic body is not responsible for the upkeep of the bridge and pays the Railways for the job. The Mayor held the Railways accountable for not keeping a check on the condition of the bridge and washed his hands off the collapse.
The Mayor implicated that no lessons have been learnt from the Elphinstone Road tragedy last year. The President of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, Sanjay Nirupam also passed the buck on the railways for the same.
Amidst the blame-game over the incident, local MLA Ameet Satam (BJP) said that instead of playing politics, the authorities must focus on resuming train services and the health of the injured. Five people were injured in the incident and are being treated at Cooper Hospital.
After the Elphinstone Road stampede, the railways had audited all bridges and declared them safe. Leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nawab Malik has accused the railways of false claims and has demanded an inquiry in the matter.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporator Sandeep Deshpande stated the importance of a safe commute for Mumbaikars.