Metro rail seals buildings after it develops cracks during tunneling ops

Chennai:

A hotel and a office building and nearby surrounding areas in Prakasam Salai and Meera Labbai Street in North Chennai was sealed by metro rail after the two buildings suffered cracks following the tunneling work being carried out by metro rail in Mannadi.

A metro rail spokesman told Express the incident happened around 11.30 am and the people in the buildings were asked to vacate it. “As a precautionary measure, traffic to Prakasam Salai and Meera Labbai street has been diverted. The area houses commercial offices,” he added.

The incident happened when the tunneling work was going on some 60 metres away from metro rail’s Mannadi station. “On Sunday, the damages to the building would be assessed and the contractor will rectify it,” the spokesman said.

The hotel workers of Excellent hotel have been given a temporary accommodation in nearby Kalyana Mandapam, the spokesman said. He said the cracks could have happened as the building foundation may be weak.

But metro rail is taking no chances and have stopped all traffic movement in the street. “By tomorrow we would have finished the tunneling work in the area and then the workers would be shifted back to the hotel,” he added. Till now metro rail has dug 1,300 metres between Washermenpet and Mannadi.