Sreedharan resigns after Delhi Metro mishap kills 5
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The chief of Delhi's metro rail system resigned on Sunday after a section of an overhead bridge under construction gave way and crushed five workers to death.
"I have been in charge of the project right from the beginning. I feel for this accident I have to take full moral responsibility," Elattuvalapil Sreedharan said in a press conference broadcast live on television.
Officials said five people were killed and fifteen injured in the accident on Sunday morning.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, led by the 77-year-old Sreedharan, has enjoyed strong government support so far and is not shackled by the delays, cost-overruns and red tape that have plagued big projects in India for decades.
Sreedharan's reputation, access to officials including the prime minister, and a mandate to jump obstacles himself rather than wait for civic authorities, have enabled him to get results.
The subway's first phase opened in 2005 within a budget of $2.3 billion and nearly three years ahead of schedule.
The second phase, which will cost $4.5 billion and boasts a high-speed airport link beneath the capital's clogged and at times chaotic roads, is on track for when the city of 16 million hosts the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
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