Two workers killed as tower crane collapses at Nagpur construction site; police begin probe

A tower crane suddenly collapsed at a construction site in the MHADA Colony area near Cotton Market Chowk in Nagpur on Friday morning. Two workers were killed and two others were injured. The dead had come to Nagpur, far from their villages and homes, in search of a livelihood and were working to feed their families.

DCP Rahul Madane said the incident took place at about 10.30 am. Four workers and a crane operator were engaged in construction-related work at the time when the tower crane suddenly came down. The workers were trapped under it and panic broke out at the site.

The dead have been identified as Vishwanath Katane and Mukesh Nishad. Katane was from Bhandara district, while Nishad was from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh. Both suffered fatal injuries in the accident. Two other workers, from Jharkhand, were injured and were taken to Orient Hospital, where they are being treated.

According to DCP Madane, police have begun an investigation to establish the circumstances in which the crane fell. Investigators are examining where the workers were standing at the time of the accident and which part of the crane they were working on, so that the full sequence of events can be pieced together.

Preliminary information indicates that the construction contract has been awarded to Vijay Shirke company. Police will seek full information from the construction company, the supervising officials and the engineers associated with the project. The aim is to find out whether there was any negligence or technical lapse in the accident.

Madane also said mechanical engineers of the department concerned will carry out a technical examination of the fallen crane. It is hoped that this will show whether the accident was caused by a machine fault, a structural deficiency or some other technical reason.

The DCP said a case of accidental death has been registered and further investigation is under way.

The accident has once again raised the issue of safety at construction sites. Both the dead are said to have come away from home in search of work and wanted to support their families financially. Their sudden deaths have plunged the families into grief, while the injured workers are recovering from their injuries.

The exact cause of the crane's fall has not yet been established. The police investigation will therefore be important in showing whether adequate safety arrangements were in place. Responsibility will be fixed if negligence is established.