Five killed as Delhi subway track collapses

A partially constructed subway track has collapsed in New Delhi, killing at least five people and injuring 13 others.
It was the second deadly accident in the past nine months on the city’s subway system, known as the Metro.
The system has been expanding at a frantic pace in an effort to finish crucial commuting lines before India plays host to the Commonwealth Games next year.
The Metro, a rare example of efficiency, punctuality and world-class engineering in a country better known for crumbling infrastructure and perpetual gridlock on its roads and in its politics, is a point of pride for New Delhi residents.
The latest accident occurred in an aboveground section being built in the Lajpat Nagar neighborhood. A pillar collapsed under the weight of two long slabs and a girder, which crumbled with a huge crash, trapping about 30 workers, said Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corp. The concrete came down from both sides, creating a Vshape.
“This is a very, very serious accident,” Sreedharan said.
He submitted his resignation after taking responsibility, but he has a good reputation for managing the rail system since its inception, and it was not clear whether the government would accept it. The system’s first five miles opened in 2002.
Sreedharan is credited with overseeing the Metro’s rapid construction without cost overruns and corruption, a considerable achievement in India where such projects are delayed endlessly and bloated budgets and graft are common.
The Metro has made Sreedharan a popular figure, unlike the rest of India’s often faceless bureaucracy.
Sreedharan told reporters the accident would delay the Metro construction by at least three months.
He said he had appointed a committee of experts to look into the causes of the accident, including any problems in design, structure, construction techniques and quality of building materials.
The Metro is currently running on a 45-mile network and serves about 60 stations. By 2010, it is expected to add an additional 76 miles of track and dozens of new stations. About 800000 commuters use the Metro daily. link.....