New accident at Delhi Metro site

One of the cranes malfunctioned, leading to the accident

Three cranes have crashed trying to lift a collapsed steel girder at the Delhi metro rail construction site, a day after a deadly accident there.

The truck-mounted cranes had lifted the girder off the ground when they buckled under the weight.

Nobody was injured but television footage showed people at the site running away to avoid the debris.

There are fears that safety standards are being compromised in the rush to build new lines, correspondents say.

There is pressure to upgrade Delhi's metro before next year's Commonwealth Games

On Sunday, a pillar supporting a partly-built bridge collapsed killing six.

The men who died were reported to be labourers working on the bridge, part of the city's new prestigious metro system.

'Buckled'

"There have been no injuries to anybody. Some TV channels have been flashing four injuries or six injuries. But I am confirming there have been no injuries," Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesman Aunj Dayal said.

Four cranes were trying to lift the 300-ton girder when one of them malfunctioned, news agency Associated Press quoted senior police officer Ajay Kashyap as saying.

The other three cranes could not handle the weight and buckled, he said.

Sunday's accident in south Delhi's Jamrudpur area is the second involving metro construction projects in less than a year.

In October, two people were crushed to death and 12 injured when another bridge under construction collapsed on to a bus and cars below.

The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that Delhi's the seven year old metro system is the city's pride and joy, offering commuters a clean air-conditioned and swift alternative to overcrowded buses and three wheelers.