A car dropped into a collapsed section of road near Chennai’s Tidel Park on Thursday. Initial findings point to nearby metro tunnelling as a possible cause.
The incident took place on the morning of October 8 on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, also known as the IT Expressway or Old Mahabalipuram Road. The car was travelling from Adyar toward Taramani in slow-moving traffic. Its front wheel entered what appeared to be a small pothole, which widened into a large sinkhole within minutes.
The driver, Praveen, and a 52-year-old passenger got out before the vehicle overturned into the pit. Praveen sustained minor injuries. Police cordoned off the damaged stretch and diverted traffic.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited confirmed that tunnel boring for the network’s Corridor 3, Phase II was taking place nearby. The company said a loss of ground-support pressure around the tunnelling machine may have caused the collapse. The state road development company said a joint inspection found no leak in the water main.
After a crane lifted the car, workers filled the hole with concrete. An official told The Hindu that a steel sheet would be placed over the site once the concrete settled, allowing traffic to resume. CMRL said it would compensate the car’s owner and that a technical inquiry was under way.