DIAL asked to pay Rs 81 lakh relief to relatives of staff killed during fire drill

The tribunal held that the men were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the incident. It also noted that the two families had already received some compensation under DIAL’s Workmen Compensation Act. The present compensation is to be paid by National Insurance Company Ltd,with which the fire tender was insured.

The accident took place on May 29,2009,during a fire safety drill. DIAL’s Airside Management Department had asked a team of five members to reach a particular spot in the airport within 90 seconds in a fire tender to test their preparedness in the event of an aircraft catching fire.

Yadav was driving the fire tender and Verma was seated next to him. During the drill,Yadav lost control of the vehicle after a sudden flash of light and it crashed into a drain near the runway.

The tribunal noted that according to two eyewitnesses,who were also aboard the fire tender at the time of the incident,the accident was not caused due to “negligence of the driver (Yadav) but due to the failure of DIAL to ensure proper light at the site and for want of anti-glare windscreen on the fire tender or anti-glare glasses for the driver”.

MACT Presiding Officer Arun Bhardwaj noted that had there been proper light or anti-glare windscreen on the vehicle or anti-glare glasses for the driver,then Yadav wouldn’t have been blinded by a sudden flash of light.

Verma,who was 54 years old at the time of the accident,lived in Mahipalpur Extension and his earnings were Rs 6.8 lakh per annum,while 31-year-old Yadav lived in Raj Nagar Palam and had an annual salary of Rs 1.8 lakh.