A pedestrian was killed when a bearing pad on a Metrorail pillar fell off in the capital’s Farmgate area.
Metro rail services were temporarily suspended following the incident.
The incident took place around 12:15 pm on Sunday in front of the Bangladesh Krishibid Institution adjacent to Farmgate Metro Station, said Tejgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mobarak Hossain.
A passport was found with the deceased. It had the name Abul Kalam and the address Shariatpur written on it. His year of birth was 1990.
Eyewitnesses said that Abul Kalam was walking on the sidewalk. While the metro rail was moving, a bearing pad suddenly fell on his head. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition and the doctor declared him dead.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) sources said that metro rail services were suspended on the entire route from Uttara to Motijheel at around 12:30 pm after the accident.
On September 18, a bearing pad on the Dhaka Metrorail came loose. Due to this, train services from Agargaon to Motijheel were suspended for about 11 hours.
This incident raised safety concerns among experts and those involved. Meanwhile, a second incident of the bearing pad coming loose occurred.
These rubber bearing pads are attached to the overpass pillars under the metro rail line. Each of them weighs approximately 140 or 150 kg.
If the train runs without these bearing pads, there is a risk of the track collapsing or shifting. That is why the metro rail has been suspended, said DMTCL sources.
