Summary:
Ranchi, Apr 13 (PTI) Experts who conducted an audit on the Deoghar ropeway where a malfunction saw cable cars colliding and a 46-hour long rescue by helicopters, said that the ropeway was “fine” when a safety audit was done last month.
Two separate probes including one by the operator - Damodar Ropeways and Ifra Ltd (DRIL) - and another by the state government are however being conducted to ascertain the cause of the accident on Sunday which tragically claimed three lives, two of them while rescue efforts were being made on the next two days.
D Basak, Chief Scientist and project coordinator, Wire Rope and Electrical Engineering at Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, told PTI that “the ropeway was perfectly fine … we conducted a test on it.” The prestigious Central Government institute had conducted an audit of the ropeway between March 17 and March 22.
There were earlier allegations from some quarters that the ropeway had not passed safety audits.
DRIL officials said they were currently conducting an internal investigation into the accident involving their own experts as well as outside experts to pin-point the cause of the mishap.
“The company is operating ropeway services in 18 places of India.