'I heard a loud noise. So I came towards the site, but the entrances were closed. I managed to reach there some 10-15 minutes later and found commotion all around. Rescue operations had begun and many injured people drenched in blood were being moved into ambulances,' he said.

Residents said if the accident had occurred later in the day in the congested area the casualties would have been higher. And they didn't want to contemplate what the impact would have been if the bridge - that has numerous shops just alongside - had tilted when it crashed.

'The place where the bridge fell is along the road's turning and we take it every day to leave our colony by car. I shudder to think what would have happened if it had occurred during peak traffic hour,' Taneja said

'It is a Sunday so there were thankfully fewer people - but there is a school nearby and children take this route. Moreover, every Saturday a flea market is held here. If the accident had taken place at that time the impact would have been much worse,' he added.

Seema Gupta said: 'The bridge fell straight down, but with a slight tilt. It could have crashed into Zamrudpur village that is metres away or on the shops below.'

Sushil Choudhury, a former Delhi legislator who owns the Choudhury Cheese Bazaar near the accident site, said he 'had doubts about Metro construction safety'.

'I would not call it a mistake but it is unnerving - the thing could have fallen right onto my shop and office,' he said.