A 23-year-old worker engaged in a drain-cleaning project under the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) died after the backhoe loader he was operating overturned near Dayal Singh College in south Delhi, with police citing possible safety lapses at the site.
The incident took place on Wednesday, when a PCR call was received at the Lodhi Colony police station about an accident during drain cleaning work, the police said.
On reaching the spot, the police found that the operator, Abhishek, a resident of Etah in Uttar Pradesh, had sustained critical injuries after being trapped under the machine. He was rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he was declared brought dead, an official said.
According to a statement issued by the DMRC, the operator, employed with contractors M/s K R Anand, was hauling debris at Sunheri Nallah when he failed to apply the brake in time. The machine crossed a cut-out and its front wheel slipped into the opening, causing it to tilt and overturn.
The police, however, said preliminary enquiry indicated that the machine lost balance while pushing heavy stones into a drain around 16 feet deep.
The edge of the drain was unstable and not reinforced, and safety measures at the site were found to be inadequate, contributing to the accident. -- PTI
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