Thane: 17 killed as crane collapses on Samruddhi Highway
At least 17 workers died and three sustained injuries after a crane fell on a bridge slab at the construction site of the Samruddhi Highway in Thane, Maharashtra, on Tuesday. According to reports, the incident occurred around 12:00am on Tuesday near Sarlambe village in Shahapur block, about 80km from Mumbai. The injured were rushed to a hospital soon after the accident.
Visuals from accident site
5 persons feared trapped: NDRF
A preliminary investigation revealed that workers were killed after a girder-launching machine collapsed on them. The girder machine is a special-purpose mobile gantry crane used in the construction of highways, railway bridges, and large buildings. Following the incident, teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire brigade, and police began rescue operations. Five people were still believed to be trapped in the debris.
PM Modi, CM Shinde announce compensation
Offering condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the families of the victims and Rs. 50,000 for the injured. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. In a tweet, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said an inquiry had been ordered into the incident.
PM Modi's Twitter post
Over 100 killed since highway's inauguration
Notably, the workers were engaged in constructing the third phase of the Samruddhi Highway, which is named Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg. It is a 701km-long expressway connecting Mumbai to Nagpur and traverses across 10 districts. According to Mid-Day, more than 100 people have been killed since the project's inauguration in December 2022.
