Mumbai: Blasting at Metro site damages vehicles and windows at Mantralaya

The MMRCL’s review will probe the causes of Thursday’s incident. Pics/Ashish Raje

Stones and dust from the construction site of the Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 flew at a number of vehicles and the Mantralaya complex, resulting in damaged windows and panic on Thursday. The incident took place when controlled blasting was in process at the site. No injuries were reported in the incident.

While tunnelling at the site has been completed, work is ongoing to build the subway entry and exit for the planned underground station. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) was conducting controlled blasting for the same.

Broken windows at Mantralaya on Thursday

MMRCL speak

An MMRCL spokesperson said that the work had been stopped and will begin after corrective action has been taken. "Excavation work of the entry and exit of Mantralaya subway is in progress. Controlled blasting was being done to break hard rock underneath. Blasting work has been going on for quite some time without any problems. However, today, some windows of Mantralaya got damaged during this operation," the MMRCL spokesperson said.

"We assure that MMRCL conducts its work with all due diligence. We will review the work till then. We are stopping controlled blasting work at the subway near Mantralaya and work will be resumed after causes are studied and corrective action is taken," the spokesperson added.

The Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 will connect Colaba in south Mumbai to SEEPZ via the Bandra Kurla Complex and the international airport.