New Delhi, July 24 - Lack of skilled labour may have contributed to the recent accidents at Delhi Metro construction sites that claimed seven lives, a senior government official said here Friday.

'The real crisis is that enough number workers with right skills are not available in the construction industry. Unskilled labourers may have been responsible for the incidents at the construction sites of Delhi Metro,' said Ajay Shankar, secretary at the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

He was speaking at a conference of industry department officials from states organised by the PHD Chambers.

DIPP is a central government agency that assists entrepreneurs and industrial promoters in setting up new ventures.