An engineer with the escalator company who was injured at the Chickpet Metro station on Saturday. DH PHOTO
Minutes before President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Namma Metro’s Green Line on Saturday, a 30-year-old engineer was seriously injured while inspecting escalators in Chickpet Metro station.
Alagappan, an engineer from Johnson Escalator, was conducting last-minute inspections in Chickpet station to ensure that the space left for additional escalators in future is covered properly before the line is thrown open to public on Sunday. “The steel sheet that is supposed to cover the space for additional escalators slipped and came crashing down on Alagappan’s leg around 5.30 pm,” BMRCL sources said.
The victim was given first aid in Victoria Hospital and then rushed to St John’s Hospital where he is said to be out of danger but doctors said there was a possibility of permanent disability.
“The patient was brought to emergency with a crush injury to the leg and showed no pulse, indicating serious vascular damage. He was given necessary initial treatment. As blood supply to the right leg was seriously compromised, it was opined that in an attempt to save the limb from amputation, he required urgent vascular surgery. Hence was transferred to Narayana Hrudayalaya as our vascular surgeon was unavailable,” said Dr Sanjiv Lewin, associate medical superintendent at St John’s Hospital. A release from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd said, “Alagappan, engineer from Johnson Escalator, the contractor for escalators, was injured in his right leg. Other than this person, there are no other persons injured.”
BMRCL sources noted that since the problem was not with the escalator, the utilities in the Metro station do not pose any serious problem to commuters who will start riding the Metro from 4 pm on Sunday.