On the night of November 30, 2024, at around 12:15 AM, a sudden collapse occurred at the “Construction of 8-lane Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (Tunnel) DME Package-15” project in Kota, outside the tunnel, at the Cut & Cover section. The collapse involved the median side vertical wall, which had been secured with Shotcrete and rock bolts in accordance with the approved design. Tragically, the incident led to the burial of five workers, including one telehandler operator. The workers were performing reinforcement binding tasks at the time, and all were wearing the required personal protective equipment (PPE), including helmets, gumboots, safety jackets, and more.
Rescue operations were promptly initiated, and four workers were successfully rescued from the debris. Unfortunately, one worker succumbed to their injuries despite extensive efforts to save them.
In response to the incident, a penalty of Rs. 50 lakh has been imposed on the contractor, M/s Dilip Buildcon Ltd.–M/s Altis-Holding Corporation (DBL-AHC JV), for failing to adhere to safety measures. Additionally, a Show Cause Notice has been issued to the Team Leader of the Authority Engineer, M/s ICT in JV with M/s Hexa Co & in association with M/s Nokang Infra Pvt. Ltd, for lapses in safety protocols that contributed to the accident.
An expert investigation committee has been formed to probe the causes of the collapse and recommend corrective actions. The team includes Sh. S.K. Nirmal (DGRD – MoRTH, Retd.), Sh. A.K. Shrivastava (ADG – MoRTH, Retd.), and Sh. Alok Pandey (M/s Elegant Engg.). The committee will visit the site on December 2, 2024, to conduct a thorough investigation and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is actively taking necessary steps to address the situation and ensure that such safety lapses are corrected moving forward.
