Mumbai Constable Killed as 200-Tonne Crane Topples at Flyover Site

MUMBAI: A 48-year-old constable attached to Nehru Nagar police station, Santosh Chavan, was killed after a heavy excavator drilling crane toppled on his motorcycle at an underconstruction flyover site on Sion-Panvel Highway in Mankhurd on Tuesday night. Mankhurd police have registered an FIR against the BMC-appointed private contractor and associated personnel for alleged negligence and recklessness. A senior BMC official said, "The incident took place when a piling RIG machine, deployed at the GMLR flyover work site at Maharashtra Nagar, toppled while it was being shifted to another location of the same project site. Action will be taken against the contractor." BMC's deputy municipal commissioner (infrastructure) is carrying out an inquiry into the incident and will submit a report, added the senior civic official. This is the second fatal incident at an infrastructure worksite in the city this year. Earlier, on Feb 14, a concrete parapet segment of the underconstruction elevated Metro Line 4 (Wadala–Kasarvadavali) viaduct fell on an autorickshaw and a car on LBS Road in Mulund West, killing a 50-year-old man and injuring three others. In Tuesday's incident, the crane, weighing around 200 tonnes, fell on Sion-Panvel Highway's northbound carriageway. Vehicular movement between Chembur and Vashi, including Mankhurd Link Road, was severely impacted all through Wednesday. Motorists complained of delays of around two hours. Police were able to move away the toppled crane around 9pm on Wednesday, but the supporting cranes remained on the road, blocking vehicular movement. Police said traffic flow would resume late at night. According to police, Chavan, who was on deputation at the East Region Office, was riding home to Nerul after work when the crane at the worksite near Tata Power House fell on the road around 9.45pm. Parts of the crane struck him, causing him to collapse on the spot. Passersby and motorists rushed Chavan to MGM Hospital in Vashi, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Based on a complaint lodged by Chavan's brother, an assistant sub-inspector posted at Parksite police station, Mankhurd police registered a case against officials from SFAR Infratech — owner Rehan Mohammad Aslam Malik, engineer Ranjan Kumar Shukla, and site supervisor Shahir Mukhtar Shaikh — as well as personnel from Lifting and Lashing Solution India, including owner Mohammad Saud Haider Ali Chaudhary, engineer Salman Imran Khan, machine operator Sudipta Dayal Pramanik, and helper Riju Shridhar Biswas, among others. Chavan is survived by his wife, son and daughter.