A major catastrophe was narrowly avoided near the Karond intersection in the state capital early Sunday morning. Amidst heavy winds and torrential rainfall, an under-construction metro pillar tilted precariously toward the road. The tilting structure snapped an overhead 11-KV power transmission line, which collapsed onto the street. Prompt action by the police and metro authorities prevented any casualties or physical injuries. According to metro officials, the incident occurred at approximately 2:30 am on Sunday. Immediately after the under-construction pillar leaned toward the thoroughfare and the power line snapped, police personnel stationed at the Karond intersection swung into action. Officers cordoned off the entire area and halted traffic from both directions. The electricity company was immediately notified to cut off power to the grid, eliminating the risk of electrocution. Heavy rain causes soil subsidence Preliminary investigations revealed that continuous rainfall over the past two days had severely weakened the soil beneath the pillar. The resulting soil subsidence caused the 20-ton iron framework to lean heavily to one side. The pillar had not yet been filled with concrete. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, a team of engineers arrived at the spot by 3:00 AM to stabilize the structure.

 

Following the incident, S. Krishna Chaitanya, the Managing Director of the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation, issued strict directives to execute stringent safety protocols. He mandated a comprehensive pre-monsoon safety audit across all active metro construction sites in Bhopal. Additionally, technical teams are reviewing the structural stability of all similar pillars along the designated metro corridors. Traffic disrupted and power infrastructure restored The operation to secure the tilted framework and clear the road disrupted traffic along the major route for several hours. Metro and electricity department crews utilized heavy machinery, including cranes and JCBs, to safely remove the tilted 20-ton structure. Power grid personnel repaired the damaged transmission lines, successfully restoring electricity to the affected neighborhoods after a three-hour blackout. Metro Public Relations Officer Dheeraj Shukla clarified that the pillar did not collapse, but had merely tilted due to soil conditions and relentless rainfall. He emphasized that the corporation’s technical teams, equipped with cranes and bulldozers, arrived at the scene immediately upon receiving the alert and successfully brought the situation under complete control without further delay.