A portion of automated multilevel parking facility at Green Park, which was inaugurated by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in November last year, collapsed on Tuesday evening prompting the SDMC Mayor to order an inquiry in the incident, civic authorities said.
They claimed that no human casualty or damage to cars was reported in the incident.
Police said information was received at Hauz Khas police station about an incident of electrically operated floor plates (that shifts the cars) falling inside the multi-level parking.
"The multi-level parking has now been blocked and no entry is permitted till complete technical inspection," a senior police officer said.
The automated stack parking facility was inaugurated in November last year by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and central minister RK Singh along with senior SDMC officials.
"Cars are parked on platforms in such automated stack parking. Due to some technical glitch one platform or floor plate of the tower number 3 on the 8th floor of the parking facility collapsed. It was not a major incident. Neither anyone was hurt nor any car was damaged in the incident," SDMC Mayor Mukesh Suryan told news agency PTI.
Mr Suryan said that strict action will be taken against those responsible.
"An inquiry has been ordered in the incident. Such an incident should not have happened. We are investigating the entire incident. Those responsible for the incident be it the contractor or officials, will not be spared," the mayor said.
The 17-floor multilevel automatic parking near Green Park Metro station was inaugurated in November 2020 where 136 cars including 32 SUVs can be parked. It was built on an 878 square metre (sqm) plot and the project cost was around Rs 18 crore.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that many cars were damaged due to collapse of platforms.
AAP's Chief Spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the collapse of parking platforms was a matter of "shame" for MCD.
"A large part of an automated stack parking in Green Park collapsed today. Many cars damaged in the incident. This parking was inaugurated with much funfair by the L-G Anil Baijal and central minister RK Singh and they (BJP) had spoken very highly of this parking facility made with an expenditure of Rs 18 crore. It is a matter of shame for MCD and Delhi BJP," Mr Bhardwaj said in an audio byte.
Later, in a statement, he added that a new parking structure could not stay intact for even a year. "It is an embarrassment brought by the BJP to all people of Delhi."
"The accountability for this incident falls on Delhi BJP and all the leaders in Delhi Municipal Corporation who uphold the rule of BJP. AAP demands that the culprits be punished and transparency be brought to MCD," Mr Bhardwaj said in the statement.
AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar, Somnath Bharti reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
"Car platforms in Newly built Multi level parking by BJP ruled MCD in green park have collapsed. Cars have damaged. People in trouble," Mr Bharti tweeted after the incident.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
