17 workers killed as Samruddhi Expressway crane collapses in Maharashtra's Thane

At least 17 workers were killed as a girder machine fell on them during construction of the third phase of Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Monday late night, police said. 

The machine is a special-purpose mobile gantry crane used in bridge construction.

Two National Disaster Response Force or NDRF teams are working at the site after the crane fell on the slab of a bridge in Shahapur tehsil of Thane district, sources reported.

At least five are feared to be trapped inside the collapsed structure, the NDRF said.

Sources reported that the machine is a special-purpose mobile gantry crane used in bridge construction. It is used to install precast box girders in highway and high-speed rail bridge construction projects.

Police and fire brigade personnel along with local agencies are engaged in a rescue operation. 

The death toll is likely to rise, citing an official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the families of those who killed.