The investigation committee formed to probe into the deaths of five people, who were killed when a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project girder fell on their car from a crane in the capital’s Uttara area, has identified 12 reasons behind the accident.
Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Department ABM Amin Ullah Noori disclosed the information at the ministry’s meeting room at the secretariat on Sunday.
The probe body found the Chinese contractor firm, China Gezhouba Group Corporation, or CGGC responsible for the tragedy.
Amin Ullah Noori said: “Following the accident, a three-member committee was formed to investigate the incident. Later, the committee was expanded to five-member.”
“The committee gave a preliminary report. After that the expert at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) was also added to the committee. They visited the scene during the investigation and recorded statement of everyone including the arrested people,” he added.
The probe body pointed to twelve circumstantial reasons behind the accident. These are as follows:
· The authorities concerned were shifting the girder in the daytime for the first time, which is among the prime reasons behind the accident.
· The authorities concerned were ignoring the government holiday without taking any prior permission from the higher authorities concerned.
· The crane was driven by an assistant operator or helper of the crane’s main operator.
· Even the operator had no licence.
· The crane was found driving on a bumpy road.
· There was no digital monitor on the crane.
· The workers did not take any prior approval for the work.
· There was no specific traffic management.
· Ineptitude of the traffic management workers.
· Lack of a safety engineer.
· There was no emergency plan management
· Those found working that day were not approved by the contractor firm.
Earlier on August 15, at least five people, including children, of the same family were killed when a girder fell on their car from a crane in Uttara, Dhaka.
Besides, two more was injured in the accident.
The accident took place around 3:30pm, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Mohsin of Uttara West police station had said.