16 killed, 5 still under debris in crane accident at Thane’s Samruddhi expressway site 

At least 16 workers were crushed to death after a crane collapsed on them at a construction site in Maharashtra’s Thane district on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, said the police.

16 workers died as crane collapses at construction of Samruddhi Expressway

According to the police, the crane fell on a group of workers engaged in the construction work of the Samruddhi Expressway in Thane’s Shahapur, killing them on the spot. Three injured workers were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Five others were believed to be trapped inside the collapsed structure, the police added.

The workers were operating a girder launching machine which is a specialised crane that can move large steel beams or girders that are used in the construction of highways, rail bridges and form the foundation for large buildings.

Details of the accident 

Taking notes from the incident, the police said that the tragedy took place in the early hours of Tuesday near Sarlambe Village in Shahapur when workers were engaged in the third phase of the construction of the expressway. Since the incident occurred, the police, fire brigade officers, and other emergency services have been engaged in rescue operations.

The 701-kilometer-long Samruddhi Mahamarg, also known as the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, is a major highway that connects the two cities.

Notably, The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is carrying out the construction of the expressway, the first phase of which, connects Nagpur to Shirdi, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022.