THANE: A devastating accident claimed the lives of at least 17 labourers as a crane collapsed on the under-construction Mumbai-Nagpur highway in Thane on Monday night.

Several others were feared trapped after a girder-lifting crane collapsed over overnight workers in Shahapur area at around 11 pm, officials said. Three injured workers were rushed to local hospitals.

The National Disaster Task Force (NDRF), state disaster management Unit, local police, and fire department were rushed to the site to retrieve those trapped.

According to an injured survivor, there were over twenty-five people present at the time of the accident. The victims are primarily migrant workers, according to locals who witnessed the tragic incident.

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The mishap occurred during construction work as part of the Samruddhi Corridor, a project known as the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg. The crane fell from a height of 90 to 100 feet while being utilized in the construction of Phase III of the expressway.

It has been reported that a Singapore-based company was responsible for the construction, and they were operating day and night to meet the project’s deadline in order to avoid penalties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF for the families of each deceased worker, while the injured will receive ₹50,000 in financial assistance.

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Additionally, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and assured that the state government will cover the medical expenses of the injured workers.

The Samruddhi Mahamarg, a 701-km-long Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway, is currently in its final stages of construction, passing through Maharashtra’s 10 districts and prominent urban regions.

With the rescue efforts ongoing, investigations into the cause of the collapse will begin only after the immediate operation is completed.

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