In the early hours of March 13, a 36-metre-long girder weighing 70 tonnes fell from the flyover and killed a temporary worker while injuring two others. This is the second such incident where a girder fell during installation at the same spot although luckily no one was injured then. This merely highlights the lack of concern of the authorities regarding safety measures, not just for the people working on the site but also for the thousands of people who must navigate traffic underneath the structure on a daily basis. Hardly have we seen such abject disregard for public safety as in this case. Considering the lax safety measures taken at the site, we must thank Providence that more people have not become casualties.

We are shocked to hear the project director brush the collapse off as merely an accident. His comment is as odious as it is unacceptable. He cannot make such an obtuse statement and absolve himself or the construction company of wrongdoing. There are so many things that can be done. The construction site can be fenced off and traffic can be managed better so that people do not travel under areas that are being constructed. Obviously these are not being done properly.

We hope now that in the aftermath of such a serious incident, LGED will revisit the construction design and also take a look at the quality of materials being used. And a good thing that might come out of this exercise, should it take place at all, is an opportunity to take a closer look at the workmanship and put into place safety measures that should be associated with a construction of this magnitude.