In a major mishap, at least 17 construction workers tragically died after a heavy girder machine fell on them during construction of the third phase of Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Thane district late Monday night. To be precise, a girder machine is a special-purpose mobile gantry crane used in bridge construction. As per reports, two NDRF teams are currently working at the accident site after the crane fell on the slab of the under-construction bride in Shahapur tehsil of Thane district. While at least 17 have been reported dead, there are people who are still trapped inside the collapsed structure. Notably, PM Modi also took to his Twitter handle and offered his condolence to the people who lost their lives in the tragic Thane crane accident. PM Modi wrote, "Pained by the tragic mishap in Shahapur, Maharashtra. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are injured. NDRF and local administration are working at the site of the mishap and all possible measures are being taken to ensure proper assistance to those affected."
It is pertinent to mention here that PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia for those who have died and also for those who have been injured in the incident. PM Modi stated, "An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000."
Pained by the tragic mishap in Shahapur, Maharashtra. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are injured. NDRF and local administration are working at the site of the mishap and all possible measures are…
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 1, 2023
For those who are unaware, the Samruddhi Mahamarg, named Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is a 701-km-long expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur. It crosses through multiple districts and cities of Maharashtra namely- Nagpur, Washim, Wardha, Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Aurangabad, Amravati, Jalna, Nashik, and Thane. The construction of the Samruddhi Mahamarg is being carried out by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation. It is pertinent to mention here that the first phase of Samruddhi Mahamarg connecting Nagpur to the temple town of Shirdi, was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in December 2022. It covers a distance of 520 km. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said in May that the third and last phase would be completed by the end of December this year.
Watch the Video of Samruddhi Expressway crane mishap video
Horrible #SamruddhiExpressway https://t.co/yTSmQIkxQv
— Shrimant Mane (@ShrimantManey) July 31, 2023
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