A school bus in Maharashtra’s Thane had a narrow escape on Monday (August 17, 2026) after granite stashed for the Mumbai Metro 9 Line construction work fell from a bridge in the district’s Mira Bhayandar region. No one was injured in the incident and the school bus did not have students onboard.

The line is a project of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The authority fined the contractor, J. Kumar Infraprojects Ltd. (JKIL), ₹10 crore, the architectural finishing contractor, N.A. Gajanan, ₹1.5 crore, and the General Consultant for the project, Systra-CEG, ₹1 crore.

MMRDA clarified that “no granite stones fell on or directly struck any school vehicle during the incident”. “No students were present in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported,” it added.

The incident happened around 11 a.m. when the debris were being removed and material were being shifted at Medetiya Nagar Station. “The material basket being handled by a crane accidentally came into contact with granite stones stacked in the nearby FOB area, causing some stones to fall from the FOB level into the barricaded work area on the ground,” MMRDA said.

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It said a vehicle passing through the vicinity drove over some scattered pieces of granite, resulting in a punctured tyre.

“The fine is imposed for the safety lapse. The safety compliance is non-negotiable. All concerned agencies have been directed to strictly adhere to prescribed safety protocols and implement necessary corrective and preventive measures to prevent any recurrence,” MMRDA said.