Two workers were killed and two others injured after a crane collapsed while it was being dismantled at an under-construction Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) site in Nagpur on Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rahul Madne said.

Source: ANI via LatestLY

The incident took place at around 10:30 am, when a crane operator and three labourers accompanying him were at work on the dismantling. One of them died on the spot, DCP Madne told reporters, and the toll rose to two as another worker succumbed, while the two injured labourers were taken to hospital for treatment.

Police identified the two deceased as Vishwanath Kathane, a resident of Bhandara district, and Mukesh Nishad, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh. The two injured labourers are from Jharkhand and are receiving treatment at Orion Hospital, the DCP said.

The site, in the Ganeshpeth area, is where a textile park and commercial complex are being built under MHADA, according to Daily Kiran. The report said the crane's upper section broke off and fell from a height of about 100 feet, striking another crane nearby and narrowly missing the main road about 30 feet away.

Source: Daily Kiran

Probe into failure and safety protocols

"The police will certainly investigate whether this was due to a mechanical failure or human error. We are also examining whether the required safety protocols were followed," DCP Madne said, adding that an Accidental Death (AD) case has been registered and a Senior Police Inspector is conducting the investigation.

Madne said police would gather information from the government's supervising engineers, MHADA engineers and the construction company's own supervising engineers to determine whether the necessary precautions were taken. He added that there is no CCTV footage available at the site, and that aspect is also being investigated.

The construction is being carried out under the aegis of MHADA by a contractor associated with the 'Vijay Company', the DCP said. Daily Kiran reported that the contract for the textile park and commercial complex was awarded to B.G. Shirke Construction Company, and that the company was gathering information from its supervisory staff. Further investigation is underway.