Piling rig collapse in Mumbai kills cop heading home after work
Mumbai police constable was killed after a piling rig machine toppled onto him, while he was on his way home, during flyover construction work. Authorities have launched an enquiry and are investigating possible safety lapses at the site.
A police constable was killed Tuesday night after a section of a piling rig machine used in flyover construction collapsed on him on the Sion-Panvel Highway in Mumbai, raising fresh concerns over safety lapses at under-construction public infrastructure sites in the city. The incident marks the third such case in the past couple of months.
The deceased, Santosh Gopal Chavan, was returning home on his motorcycle after completing his duty. The incident took place shortly after he crossed the Mankhurd T-junction.
According to police, a piling rig, a heavy-duty machine used for drilling deep foundations, was stationed at the site for ongoing flyover construction work.
Officials said the machine had been placed on uneven ground and was not properly secured. It later toppled sideways and part of it fell on Chavan.
Chavan, who suffered severe injuries, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead, the official said. He was rushed to Hospital by bystanders but was declared dead on arrival.
The constable, who was attached to the Nehru Nagar police station, was on deputation to the East Control Room in Chembur.
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is executing the project, has initiated an enquiry and said action will be taken against the contractor.
The accident led to severe traffic congestion in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, including on the Eastern Express Highway, an official said.
Mumbai Traffic Police also reported slow movement near the Mankhurd new bridge on the northbound stretch due to the crane-related accident.
Authorities have initiated legal proceedings, with Mankhurd police in the process of registering a case against the contractor for alleged negligence. Investigators are also examining the role of contractors and site supervisors, and whether mandatory safety protocols were followed at the construction site, police said.
In a separate incident on April 15, a mobile crane toppled during Metro construction at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, though no injuries were reported.
Earlier, in February, one person was killed and three others injured when a slab of a Metro rail girder bridge under construction collapsed onto vehicles in Mumbai’s Mulund area.