NEW DELHI - Heavy rains Wednesday hampered the ongoing clearing of debris at the Delhi Metro construction site in south Delhi where the collapse of a concrete viaduct killed six people Sunday.

Water and power supply that was affected by the falling heavy slabs of cement blocks and steel works, was resumed Wednesday, bringing relief to the residents of Zamrudpur, adjacent to the accident site. However, traffic woes continued as vehicles were allowed on only one carriageway, from Moolchand to Nehru Place.

Gas cutters were being used to cut the over 400-tonne steel launcher, used to place the girders on pillars, so that it could be carted away in pieces.

“Site clearing activities continued at Zamrudpur throughout the day but rainfall in the area slightly affected the progress of work,” said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official.

“The 72-metre long launcher has been cut into several pieces, each 15 metres long. The part of the launcher that is resting on the concrete span has been cut into seven-metre pieces,” the official said.

“A 350-tonne crane and two 100-tonne cranes are being used to remove pieces of the girder and debris. As crane movement is on at the site, traffic is still moving from Moolchand to Nehru Place side only,” the officer added.

Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Ray visited the site Wednesday.

DMRC chief E. Sreedharan also visited the area along with other senior officials. On Tuesday, he had ordered an independent safety audit for all Delhi Metro structures under construction.