AAI blamed for escalator mishap at Delhi airport

The three-man committee, chaired by retired secretary R C Jain, said in its report submitted to Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav on Monday, that authorities at the airport did not even know the location of the emergency stop switch, the timely activation of which could have avoided the accident.

“The reaction of various functionaries — AAI officials, engineering and medical staff including the police personnel etc — presenton the spot of the accident was inadequate and lacked sensitivity in handling the situation.”

The report said the maintenance of the escalators was not at all being done in a satisfactory manner. The quality of work being done by the manufacturers, Otis, was not up to the mark, it noted.

“AAI staff was remiss in not supervising and monitoring this work inadequately. There was no proper documentation or effective hands-on check of the work done by Otis."

The result was that the comb plate and the foot plate of the escalator at its down-end were loosely held and got shifted under pressure creating a gaping hole in which some of the passengers fell and sustained injuries and the girl died.”

The high-level committee, set by Yadav on December 22, said the escalator had been in service for the last 14 years. It was not upgraded to incorporate some latest safety features which were necessary in view of upgradation of technology, experience and significant increase in passenger load.

It also noted thatthe treatment meted out to the relatives of the dead girl and other injured people was inadequate.

The committee which also included R K Narayan, former chairman of Power Grid Corporation and J N Roy, former commissioner of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, examined 38 witnesses, including the manufacturers. In its final report to be submitted by March 31, the committee will give recommendations for systematic improvement at airports.

Following the tragedy, the airport director was shifted and action was taken against some other personnel.