A hydraulic crane collapsed at the construction site of an MMRDA elevated road near Siddheshwar Talao in Thane West on Thursday, October 8, injuring two people and damaging an auto-rickshaw.
The incident occurred on the service road adjoining the ongoing elevated road construction work. The crane reportedly fell onto the auto-rickshaw, which was passing through the area at the time.
Following the accident, the injured auto-rickshaw passenger and driver were taken to Lake City Hospital in Thane for medical treatment. Further information about the severity of their injuries was awaited at the time of reporting.
The incident has raised concerns over safety measures around infrastructure construction zones, particularly where heavy machinery is being operated alongside roads used by commuters and local traffic.
The MMRDA elevated road project is part of ongoing infrastructure development in the Thane region, where several major transport projects are being undertaken to improve connectivity and ease traffic congestion.
The circumstances that led to the hydraulic crane collapsing were not immediately clear. It was also not known whether the equipment was being operated at the time of the incident or whether any safety protocol violations were involved.
Visuals from the site showed the crane lying across the service road, with the damaged auto-rickshaw nearby. The incident temporarily affected movement along the stretch as emergency and response teams attended the scene.
Authorities are expected to examine the equipment and the construction site to determine the cause of the collapse and establish whether appropriate safety precautions were in place.
The accident comes amid extensive construction activity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, where elevated roads, metro corridors and other major infrastructure projects are being developed. Such works involve the movement and operation of heavy machinery close to busy public roads, making site management and safety precautions crucial.
Further details regarding the incident, the condition of the injured persons and any official action were awaited.
Source: The Free Press Journal
