Twenty people, including two site engineers and 12 workers, were crushed to death when a girder launching machine collapsed on them late on Monday night, during the third phase of the construction of a viaduct on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Thane district.
According to officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC), the incident took place at around 11:30 p.m. at Khutadi Sarlambe village in Shahapur tehsil, when construction personnel were doing preparatory work for the next day. “The launching gantry along with segment launcher (crane), weighing 700 tonnes, came crashing down from a height of 35 metres,” an official said.
While 20 people — two engineers, five staff and 13 workers — lost their lives on the spot, three workers are undergoing treatment at hospitals. The bodies of the victims were shifted to the Shahapur government hospital for autopsy.
Thane is the political turf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who represents the Kopri-Pachpakhadi Assembly constituency in the district. Mr. Shinde’s close confidant and Minister Dadaji Bhuse visited the spot and took stock of the situation. He expressed concerns that there might be more people trapped under the debris.
Search-and-rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) participated in the rescue operation, along with fire brigade personnel, police, and local residents.
Case registered; probe ordered
Shahapur police registered a case under Sections 304 A (causing death by negligence), and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code, against two contractors of the company engaged in the bridge construction work.
The Chief Minister ordered a probe into the accident and announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of each victim. “What happened is very tragic and our government is on [the] spot. A Swiss company was working here. A detailed probe is being ordered,” he said. Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar also offered their condolences and said that rescue operations were being carried out on a war footing.
It was a special-purpose mobile gantry crane — used in bridge construction and to install precast box girders in highway construction projects — which collapsed while being shifted between pier numbers 15 and 16 of the viaduct, as part of preparatory work for the next day, the MSRDC said. The 2.28 km-long viaduct is being constructed by Hyderebad-based Navayuga Engineering Company Limited, and Singapore-based VSL India Private Limited. Of the viaduct’s 114 segments, 98 have been successfully constructed using the same launcher, the MSRDC added.
Compensation for kin
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences and announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. “Pained by the tragic mishap in Shahapur, Maharashtra. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are injured. The NDRF and local administration are working at the site of the mishap and all possible measures are being taken to ensure proper assistance to those affected,” he said, adding that the injured would each be given ₹50,000.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed his grief, noting that NDRF teams were engaged in relief and rescue work. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said: “Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the tragic accident in Shahapur, Maharashtra. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I extend my prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Mumbai-Nagpur expressway
Said to be the brainchild of Mr. Fadnavis, who represents the Nagpur South West Assembly constituency, the road — officially named the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg — is a 701 km-long expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur.
The 520-km-long stretch completed in the first phase was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year. Another 80-km stretch between the temple town of Shirdi, and Bharvir in Nashik district, was inaugurated by Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis in May. The CM said that the entire 701-km stretch would be fully operational by the end of this year.
The MSRDC is carrying out the construction, with a project outlay of ₹55,335 crore. The expressway reduces travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai by 10 hours, running past 392 villages across 10 districts. Usually, it takes 17 to 18 hours to cover a distance of 839 km between the two cities.
Over the last six months, 88 people have lost their lives in road accidents on the Samruddhi Expressway, including 25 people who were killed last month when a private bus caught fire after hitting a divider.
