A reinforcement cage weighing around 12 tonnes toppled onto a moving car on Kopri Bridge in Thane during construction of the Anand Nagar–Saket Elevated Road, prompting the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to impose a Rs 2 crore penalty on the contractor and order an investigation into possible safety lapses.
The incident occurred at around 1.50 pm on Saturday near Tulja Bhavani Temple in Bhaskar Colony along the Eastern Express Highway. The falling metal structure damaged the car’s front windshield, but no injuries were reported, according to MMRDA and the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC).
The structure was identified as a metal mould or reinforcement cage being used in the construction of a flyover pier. It tilted onto the road while work was under way on the elevated road project, which is being executed under the MMRDA’s jurisdiction.
Police, traffic officials, disaster management personnel and civic staff reached the site after the incident. A crane was deployed to remove the toppled structure and clear the affected stretch. MMRDA said the damaged vehicle had also been removed and that the reinforcement cage was being safely cleared with the assistance of the crane.
In a statement, MMRDA said it was treating the incident with “utmost seriousness” and would not tolerate lapses in construction safety. The authority said it had imposed the Rs 2 crore penalty on the contractor executing the project.
MMRDA has also ordered a detailed investigation to determine what caused the reinforcement cage to topple and whether safety procedures were breached at the construction site. The investigation is expected to identify the specific lapses, if any, and determine the corrective measures required.
“Such incidents are unacceptable and any lapse in construction safety will not be tolerated,” the authority said. MMRDA added that public safety remained its highest priority and that strict accountability would be enforced at every project site.
The incident took place on a road corridor carrying regular traffic while elevated-road construction was in progress above or alongside the carriageway. The damage to a moving vehicle, despite the absence of reported injuries, has raised immediate concerns about the protection of motorists and pedestrians around active infrastructure work zones.
The Anand Nagar–Saket Elevated Road is among the infrastructure projects being developed to improve movement through the Thane region. The latest incident has led the project authority to focus on the contractor’s construction practices, the stability of temporary structures and the safeguards in place while work is being conducted close to live traffic.
MMRDA has not disclosed the contractor’s name, the precise cause of the structural failure or the specific safety measures that were found inadequate. Those details are expected to form part of the investigation ordered by the authority. The next formal action will depend on the findings and the corrective measures enforced at the site.
