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Crane Collapse Snarls Traffic on Shaikh Zayed Road
DUBAI - A crane collapse at a metro station under construction on the Shaikh Zayed Road early Sunday threw peak-hour traffic out of gear and raised safety concerns among residents.
- PUBLISHED: Tue 11 Nov 2008, 12:35 AM UPDATED: Thu 18 Jul 2024, 3:36 PM
A mast of the crane, aiding work at a Dubai Metro Station near Emirates Towers, fell on a signboard around 4.30am, leading to partial closure of the road by Dubai Police for nearly five hours.
Though the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said there were no injuries, residents stressed the need for an urgent review of safety standards at all work sites in the emirate.
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“It is rather fortunate that the incident occurred early morning and that the crane fell on a signboard and not on the road. There should be a thorough investigation into the incident and if there was a safety lapse, authorities should step up safety measures,” Muriel Landais, a homemaker, said adding that a similar incident in Europe a few years ago had killed two schoolchildren.
A written statement from the RTA to Khaleej Times said the crane belonged to a Dubai Metro contractor and caused damage only to the direction board.
John B., a resident, said that over-the-road construction work always made him quite anxious.
“I am not always comfortable with the constant construction activity here, especially when it is happening over the road. Officials should review safety measures and periodical inspections should be done to check if they are adequate,” he added.
RTA officials, on the other hand, said they had commenced investigations to find out the cause of the mishap, although it initially focused on removing the crane and clearing the road to aid traffic flow.
“All equipment used in the project is subject to initial tests by security and safety units of both the consultant and the contractor of the project before no objection certificates are issued for their deployment on site. Moreover, all operators are accredited and certified to use the machinery,” said Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, CEO of RTA Rail.
Sylvester Denhum, an event coordinator, said the incident was a major concern, though no one had been injured. “Dubai is moving towards a better quality of life, but I dread to think what would have been the consequences if it had happened during peak hours or came crashing down on cars or school buses passing by,” he said.
preeti@khaleejtimes.com
