MUMBAI:A section of a bridge caved in at Andheri station in Mumbai this morning following incessant rain, leaving five people injured, with two said to be in critical condition. No casualties have been reported from the collapse. The Gokhale bridge on SV Road connects Andheri East and Andheri West stations and is used by thousands of commuters each day.
A part of the bridge, which is on the southern end of Andheri station between platform numbers 7-8, crashed around 7.30 am, ripping off overhead wires which were left on the tracks.
Traffic at the bridge has been stopped and trains, which are the lifeline of India’s financial capital, have been affected.
The routes of some local trains on other lines have been extended to clear the spillover at Ghatkopar station, officials said. Local trains are running between Churchgate (in south Mumbai) and Bandra (in the western suburbs), and between Virar (located in neighbouring Palghar district) and Goregaon (western suburb), a Railways official told news agency Press Trust of India.
The bridge crash damaged a portion of the platform roof, blocked railway lines and damaged high-tension electric wires and overhead power equipment, according to an IANS report. A team of engineers are working to restore services, an official said.
