Mumbai: A slab from a flyover in Andheri fell onto a moving car on Thursday afternoon. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the slab landed on the car's bonnet, according to civic officials.
The incident occurred around 3:20 p.m. on the Western Express Highway (WEH) near Gundavali Metro Station. The civic officials of K East ward, the Mumbai Fire brigade and police rushed to the spot and the area was cordoned off. However, officials clarified that the fallen slab was a commercial structure under the bridge, not a part of the bridge itself. The Andheri flyover was one of the flyovers built over the WEH, to avoid traffic lights for vehicles moving towards Vile Parle and Bandra.
"The flyover, built by the Public Works Department in 1990, was transferred to the BMC by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in 2022. Constructed under a build-operate-transfer model, the space under the bridge was intended for commercial use, but construction was temporarily halted due to litigation. We have informed the concerned contractor about the incident and instructed them to carry out necessary measures to avoid further mishap," said a senior civic official.
"We have removed the loose part of the structure to prevent any further collapse and have barricaded one lane," the official added. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Sources indicated that BMC had conducted repairs last year following recommendations from an audit report.
