Dhaka, Jan 01 (V7N) – The October 26 metro rail accident, which killed one person in the capital, was caused by a design flaw in the metro rail and poor quality of the bearing pad, said Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, advisor to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges.

He made the statement at a press conference at the Secretariat on Thursday (January 1), following the submission of the investigation report by the committee assigned to probe the incident.

According to Fauzul Kabir Khan, the investigation committee did not find any evidence of sabotage in the incident. The preliminary investigation revealed that the hardness, compression set, and neoprene content of the deviated bearing pad did not meet prevailing standards. He noted that further tests in foreign laboratories are required to confirm these findings.

The advisor also mentioned that the bearing pad had been inserted at a slight slope of 0.8 percent, which is believed to have contributed to its deviation.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Managing Director Faruk Ahmed stated that disciplinary action will be taken against anyone found responsible after verification of the investigation report.

END/SMA/AJ