A pedestrian died when a bearing pad of metro rail station fell on him in Dhaka's Farmgate area today, police said initially.
The victim died on the spot after a bearing pad fell off around 12:30pm, said Tejgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mobarak Hossain.
His name and identity could not be ascertained, the OC said..
Iftikhar Hossain, general manager (operation) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), also confirmed The Daily Star that a bearing pad had fallen from the upper structure of the metro station.
"As a safety measure, metro rail services have been suspended from 12:30pm," he said.
Asked about the death, Iftikhar said they were not aware of any casualty.
A large number of onlookers gathered at the scene soon after the incident. Army personnel also joined police at the spot.
Police took away the body from the spot at 1:45pm.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Managing Director Faruk Ahmed told The Daily Star that one person was killed and two others were injured after a bearing pad fell from between pillars 432 and 433.
"Metro rail operations will take some time to resume as equipment needed to repair the affected area is on the way. Further updates will be shared after an investigation," he said.
Faruk added that on September 18 last year, one of the four bearing pads installed on pillar 430 near the Farmgate Station had become dislodged and fallen to the ground.
"Following that incident, necessary steps were taken to prevent such occurrences in the future," he said.
Champa Akhter, a nearby shopkeeper and eyewitness, said they heard a loud noise as something fell from the metro rail line.
"The object (bearing pad) bounced onto the street and struck the man on the back of his neck," she told this correspondent at the scene.
"He immediately collapsed on the footpath, and blood started coming out of his nose and mouth," she said, adding, "He went silent within seconds."
The bearing pad then hit a nearby shop, shattering its glass, she added. The shopkeeper, Amir, also sustained injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Earlier on September 18 last year, one of the four bearing pads placed on a metro rail pier near the Farmgate station got displaced and fell to the ground, causing disruption of metro rail services for around 11 hours.
On elevated structures like bridges and metro rail, bearing pads are placed between the viaduct and the pier. They are used for transmission of load from superstructures to piers and to absorb the vibrations caused by the movement of the metro trains, experts said.