Construction workers hustle in the heat of the sun to accomplish a day’s load of work at the MRT-7 railway project along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. (Grig C. Montegrande/Inquirer File Photo)
MANILA, Philippines — It was the scaffolding—not a post—of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) that collapsed over the weekend, a San Miguel Corp. (SMC) official clarified on Wednesday.
This was according to SMC Infrastructure Corporate Affairs Office head Melissa Encanto-Tagarda, who also explained the cause of the incident.
READ: San Miguel seals P100-billion loan deal for MRT 7 project
“At around 3:50PM of Sunday, 13 April, scaffolding being assembled by a contractor of the MRT-7 guideway along West Avenue, Quezon City, fell due to strong winds and heavy rainfall,” Encanto-Tagarda told INQUIRER.net.
No injuries were reported, but the incident caused a power interruption in the area. She also said the contractor was able to clear the debris past midnight the following day.
Encanto-Tagarda further said the incident did not compromise the integrity of the MRT-7 project.
“The collapsed scaffolding was part of the temporary construction setup and did not affect any major structures of MRT-7, like the bored piles or support columns. The integrity of the rail system remains solid and completely safe,” she said.
A full report will also be submitted to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) once the investigation is completed.
“Meanwhile, other scaffoldings in the area have been reinspected to ensure their integrity. We want to assure the public that safety remains a top priority for the project,” she also said.
INQUIRER.net has reached out to the DOTr but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.
Last June 2023, the SMC sealed a P100-billion loan deal to finance the completion of the MRT-7 that aims to link Metro Manila to Bulacan province by 2025.
The 22-kilometer railway line will cut travel time from North Avenue, Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, to an estimated 35 minutes from the current two to three hours.