After the fatal metro rail accident, questions are mounting over how a bearing pad -- which supports viaducts weighing hundreds of tonnes -- could fall off again, just 13 months after a similar incident. Engineer Moniruzzaman, who has long worked on bridge condition surveys, said: "During construction, a concrete seat is built on the pier to hold the rubber pad in place. He added that such incidents are sporadic: "I've seen a few cases where bearing pads shifted due to tilting or floods -- only in very old structures." On Sunday afternoon, a bearing pad fell near Khamarbari, killing 36-year-old Abul Kalam. Hoque said rubber pads are never installed alone: "They're fixed within a frame to prevent shifting -- this is century-old technology that has evolved greatly.
