08.08.2022

Wrong crane, poor planning

A video of a crane overturn in India on Wednesday, has gone viral. The incident occurred in the town of Talcher in the state of Odisha on the north east coast of the Bay of Bengal.

Two articulated tractor cranes were carrying out a tandem lift to recover a truck that had crashed through the road barrier into a canal several metres below the road.
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It looks as though the hoist cable or slings of the crane attached to the front of the truck broke when the truck was just about clear of the water, allowing the load to fall suddenly. The hoist cable and rigging of the other crane held tight to the truck, the extra weight and dynamic loading were more than enough to tip the crane into the water.

Thankfully the operator was able to exit the cab and swim safely to safety. Given the state of the rigging and the cranes, the odds that the lift would have gone well were minimal, thankfully no one lost their life in this poorly planned lift.