The three injured persons were being treated at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital at Kalva in Thane. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the incident in a tweet. A probe by experts has been ordered, he added. It was a special-purpose “mobile gantry crane” used in bridge construction and to install precast box girders in highway construction projects that collapsed while being shifted between pier nos 15 and 16 of the viaduct as part of preparatory work for the next day, the MSRDC said. The 2.28 km-long viaduct is being constructed by Navayuga Engineering and VSL India Private Limited, Singapore. Of total 114 segments of the viaduct, 98 were successfully constructed using the same launcher, MSRDC added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each of the deceased and assistance of Rs 50,000 for the injured persons.

 

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said she was saddened by the loss of lives in an accident in Thane, Maharashtra and expressed her condolences to the bereaved families. “I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in the accident in Thane district of Maharashtra. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I wish the injured people a speedy recovery,” Murmu tweeted in Hindi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief. National Disaster Response Force teams are engaged in relief and rescue work, he said. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde condoled the deaths and announced assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased.