The crane that toppled along the Dabolim road on Friday.
THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO
A crane deployed for the ongoing Dabolim flyover construction work toppled onto the road on Friday, leaving its driver and operator injured and narrowly missing a residential house.
The incident occurred when the crane, which was operating at the flyover construction site, suddenly overturned.
While the driver and operator sustained injuries and were rushed to hospital, the crane's boom fell into an adjoining residential area, damaging the railings of a house and multiple two-wheelers parked outside.
Fortunately, the occupants of the house, including a small child, were asleep inside when the incident occurred and escaped unhurt. The crane also missed vehicles moving along the road, averting what could have been a major tragedy. There was no loss of life.
The incident has triggered anger among local residents, who have demanded strict action against the contractor, alleging serious lapses in safety measures at the flyover construction site.
Locals claimed that this was not an isolated incident and pointed out that there had been several instances in the past of iron rods falling from the under-construction flyover onto vehicles plying on the road below. They alleged that the contractor had repeatedly compromised on safety precautions, putting motorists and residents at risk.
Residents further pointed out that several fatal accidents had occurred during construction-related works in the past due to alleged negligence and inadequate safety arrangements by contractors.
Demanding accountability, locals have urged authorities, particularly the South Goa Collector, to take serious cognisance of the incident, initiate an inquiry and register a case against the contractor for the alleged negligence.
They said that construction work cannot be allowed to continue at the cost of public safety and demanded immediate corrective measures to prevent another potentially fatal accident.
