Three road construction workers lost their lives, and one remains feared trapped after a section of a crane collapsed onto a container used by laborers as a resting area near Panhera Khurd in Faridabad on Thursday afternoon. Police confirmed that one worker was rescued from the debris.
Incident Details
The accident occurred between 1:30 PM and 2:00 PM at a construction site for an 11-kilometer elevated road connecting Faridabad to Greater Noida and eventually the Noida International Airport in Jewar. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ballabgarh) Prateek Agarwal confirmed the fatalities and stated that the incident was caused by adverse weather conditions. Delhi-NCR experienced a severe thunderstorm on Thursday afternoon.
According to officials, 22 laborers were present at the site when the crane failed. Four to five workers were inside the container, which was used for cooking and resting, at the time of the collapse. Rescuers used mechanical cutters to cut through the mangled structure and successfully pulled out two workers.
Weather Conditions Blamed
Preliminary reports indicate that heavy rainfall earlier in the day had left the ground muddy and unstable. Construction had only recently resumed when the crane portion gave way. An official from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) stated that the accident was due to adverse weather and not a safety lapse. Prima facie there were no safety lapses. Due to strong winds, the crane got damaged and fell on the iron container, the official said, adding that the incident amounted to a natural calamity rather than a safety failure at the project site. A second official noted that the construction contract was awarded to APCO Infratech.
Rescue Operations
Faridabad police spokesperson Yashpal Yadav confirmed that teams reached the spot immediately after being informed. Rescue operations are continuing to evacuate the remaining trapped workers, he said. Work at the site was suspended following the accident, and authorities have launched an investigation. Police stated that the exact cause will only be determined after a detailed probe.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Amarjit of the State Disaster Response Force, which was deployed at the site, said, The rescue operation is still on. No First Information Report (FIR) had been filed at the time of this report.
