Crane collapse kills 16 workers in India

01 August 2023 - 09:00
By Shivam Patel
Rescue teams were trying to pull out bodies and at least 16 were reported dead, said Mohsen Shahidi, a top official at the National Disaster Response Force. File picture
Image: 123RF/Paul Fleet Rescue teams were trying to pull out bodies and at least 16 were reported dead, said Mohsen Shahidi, a top official at the National Disaster Response Force. File picture

At least 16 workers were killed and several others were feared trapped after a crane collapsed during the construction of a bridge in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, officials said.

Television footage showed mangled remains of the crane sprawled on the ground between pillars of the bridge near Shahapur area, about 80km from the state capital Mumbai.

Rescue teams were trying to pull out bodies and at least 16 were reported dead, said Mohsen Shahidi, a top official at the National Disaster Response Force.

“Pained by the tragic mishap in Shahapur, Maharashtra. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office said in a post on X social media.

Modi's office announced relief assistance of 200,000 rupees (R43,480) for the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees (R10,879) for the injured.

Reuters