200-Tonne Crane Topples in Kurla East Damaging Homes and Injuring Several

A 200-tonne crane toppled while lifting heavy machinery to the 16th floor of a building in Umarwadi, Qureshi Nagar, Kurla East, early on August 21, crashing onto nearby houses and vehicles and injuring several residents.

The incident took place at around 2:45 am at Saharanivas Seva Sangh. The crane, manufactured by SANY and bearing registration number GJ13AD2842, had been brought in to demolish Building No. 1 of Galaxy MHADA Apartment. It was hoisting a Poclain machine to the 16th floor when it lost balance and overturned.

The falling crane crashed onto adjacent houses, cars, and autorickshaws, causing extensive structural damage. The large iron boom of the crane came to rest across several residential structures and the Burma railway line.

Complainant Abu Salem Fazlur Rehman Khan, 30, who runs a chicken business and resides in the area, reported that he and his family were asleep when the impact shook the house and caused a portion of the roof to collapse. Khan and his relatives Atikur Rehman Khan, Rehan Khan, and Nauman Khan sustained injuries to their hands and legs before fleeing outside.

Several other local residents were also injured in the collapse, including Mustaq Qureshi, Nasrin Qureshi, Aarti Gaud, Raja Gaud, Ahmed Niyaz, and Mohammad Riyan. The injured were transported to Sion Hospital for medical treatment. No fatalities were reported.

Following the collapse, the crane was removed from the site and the Chunabhatti police launched an inquiry. Based on Khan's complaint, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The FIR states that the crane operator and contractor acted negligently and recklessly by failing to take adequate safety precautions during the lifting operation, leading to the collapse and endangering local residents. Further investigation into the incident is underway.