Maha crane crash toll reaches 17; President, PM condole deaths

Thane, Aug 11 (IANS) The death toll in the crane crash tragedy in Thane climbed to 17 with two more bodies recovered and a few others still feared trapped under the gigantic girder which crushed many workers on Tuesday, officials said here.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who arrived in Maharashtra for a day-long visit -- have condoled the deaths and offered solace to the families of the victims.

Modi also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each of the victims and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the mishap from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who is in Pune for Modi's visit, called his ministers and officials for a briefing of the tragedy that struck in Thane, his home district.

Shinde announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for the families of each deceased worker and free treatment for the injured, besides deputing Minister Dadaji Bhuse to the spot in Shahpur to oversee the rescue and relief operations.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a thorough investigation by experts into the disaster.

According to the Thane Regional Disaster Management Unit and the NDRF, the incident occurred at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday when the massive gantry-crane tumbled on the girder, trapping the workers.

At that time, a group of workers was busy erecting a gigantic gantry-girder on a section of the third and final phase of the 701-km long Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, coming up at a cost of Rs 55,000 crore.

The cause of the accident is not immediately clear, and there are apprehensions that the death toll may further increase, officials indicated.

The accident site is located between Sargaon and Sarambegaon, and a huge rescue effort on a war footing has been launched by NDRF, SDRF and other local agencies.