Two workers were killed and three others injured after a 100-foot tower crane collapsed at a Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority construction site in Ganeshpeth, Nagpur, on Friday, police said. The incident occurred while workers were raising the height of the crane and its arm collided with another stationary crane.
Nagpur deputy commissioner of police Rahul Madane confirmed to the Times of India that the crane was being raised when the collision occurred. The impact caused part of the crane to tear away and collapse at the construction site.
According to police, the crane operator and a labourer died in the accident. The collision reportedly threw the labourer about 100 feet into the air before he fell to the ground, while the crane operator fell from a height of approximately 60 feet.
Three other workers were injured and taken to a private hospital. Doctors said their condition was stable, although detailed medical assessments were still awaited when the report was filed.
The accident also led to a rescue operation after a worker identified as Manturam became trapped in the upper section of the crane. Fire department personnel climbed onto the structure, reached him and brought him down on a stretcher. He was subsequently transported to a hospital by ambulance.
Personnel from Ganeshpeth police station and the fire department reached the site after the collapse. Police were conducting a panchnama and examining the sequence of events, including the procedure followed to increase the crane’s height and the circumstances that led to the collision.
Tower cranes are commonly raised through a process known as climbing, which involves specialised equipment and safety procedures. Police have not yet established why the crane lost stability or whether any safety protocol was breached during the operation.
No offence had been registered at the time of filing the report. Police sources said the contractor was likely to be named in a first information report for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, subject to the findings of the investigation.
The investigation is expected to determine the responsibilities of the contractor and other parties involved in the crane operation. Police will also examine the construction site records and the circumstances surrounding the height-raising work.