04.10.2009

Another crane tips on Delhi Metro

Yet another lifting accident has occurred on the Delhi Metro construction, when a 50 tonne truck crane tipped while lifting another crane.

Nobody was injured in this accident, in spite of early reports claiming at least 12 injuries.

The 50 tonne Grove was lifting a locally built tractor crane into an excavated site for the Saket Delhi Metro station, when a hydraulic cylinder failure is reported to have occurred.
Please register to see all images

The toppled crane

Looking at photos and video from the scene show no visible signs of such a failure – unless it involved the outrigger jacks and a local report that police are investigating a negligence case for overloading is possibly nearer the mark? The crane operator managed to jump clear without serious injury.

A statement from Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) spokesman Anuj Dayal said a crane operated by Larsen & Toubro developed a mechanical problem when one of the booms lift cylinders failed.

“This crane was hired from Global Hydraulic Sales, it was manufactured in 2006 and certified for fitness for operations. The DMRC chief project manager and other senior officers are supervising the recovery work,” he added.

The Metro construction has been dogged with lifting accidents: On July 12th a launching crane collapsed in south Delhi’s Zamrudpur area killing six people and injuring around 20. A day later three mobile cranes lost their booms during a four crane multiple lift during the clean up injuring six people. Click here to see three cranes collapse

A man died on July 22nd when a crane dropped a concrete beam on him then at the end of August a crane’s boom collapsed in a holding yard for the metro construction and a man fell to his death from a ladder.