Second accident hits India subway project

NEW DELHI, July 13 (UPI) -- Three construction cranes were destroyed Monday, only a day after six people were killed while constructing New Delhi's subway system, Indian officials said.

In the latest incident, no one was injured when a 200-ton metal beam crashed to the ground, taking out three tall cranes and flipping a 16-wheel truck bed, The New York Times reported.

Sunday's accident, however, claimed six lives when a pillar supporting elevated rails collapsed, sending slabs of concrete to the ground as Indian construction engineers worked quickly on a transportation project seen as key to improving the country's economy, the newspaper said.

Gurudas Dasgupta, a member of Parliament from West Bengal, told the Times the accidents were evidence contractors and subcontractors were facing pressure to finish building the subway and billions of dollars' worth of other infrastructure projects in time for the October 2010 Commonwealth Games.

"They are blind to safety regulations and therefore endangering the people," Dasgupta said.

Contractor Gammon India told reporters Monday it had "followed the highest safety measures" and was carrying out an internal investigation of the accident.