New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Residents of houses near the metro rail construction site in South Delhi, who had been evacuated following Sunday’s accident in which six people had been killed, returned to their homes Thursday, officials said.
Six workers were killed and about 15 injured, one of them critically, when an elevated section of the Delhi Metro track under construction at Zamrudpur collapsed Sunday, bringing down tonnes of steel and concrete.

Six more people were injured at the very spot the next day when huge cranes, trying to remove a steel girder that had got inclined, suddenly toppled over. A row of adjoining shops were also destroyed by the falling cranes.

Following the second accident, residents from around five houses near the site were evacuated.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson Anuj Dayal said in a statement: “The affected residents who had been evacuated earlier have returned to their homes.”

Meanwhile, clearing up operations are also on, he said. More than one-third of the 72 metre long metallic launching girder - that had come crashing down Sunday - has been removed from the site. The remaining part should be removed by Friday.

Three cranes are being used to remove pieces of the damaged launching girder and debris.

The tricky part of the clearing up operations is ensuring the safe removal of the concrete girder precariously situated on the elevated beam.

“The task of cutting the fallen concrete girder will start using diamond-disc concrete cutting machines and core cutting machines. Ten trestles have been put below the concrete girder to ensure safety,” Dayal said.

DMRC officials also said that clearing up operations were likely to continue for at least five more days.