The deceased officer has been identified as Santosh Gopal Chavan, who was returning home on his motorcycle when the fatal incident occurred along the northbound carriageway of the Sion–Panvel Highway. At the time of the incident, Chavan was attached to the Nehru Nagar Police Station and was on deputation to the East Control Room in Chembur.
According to police officials, a piling rig being used for drilling foundation piles suddenly toppled at the construction site and struck the constable. Preliminary assessments indicate that the heavy machinery may have been positioned on unstable ground, which likely led to its collapse and subsequent impact.
Chavan sustained severe injuries in the incident. He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where medical personnel declared him dead upon arrival.
Following the fatal accident, legal proceedings have been initiated. Police in Mankhurd are preparing to register a case against the contractor on charges of alleged negligence. Authorities are also investigating the roles of contractors and site supervisors to determine whether mandated safety protocols were properly followed at the construction site.
This incident adds to a growing list of construction-related mishaps in Mumbai. On April 15, a mobile crane collapsed during Metro construction work at Bandra-Kurla Complex, although no injuries were reported. The crane, weighing approximately 400 tonnes, overturned during a pre-cast beam lifting operation near the Asian Heart Hospital junction due to a suspected mechanical failure during overnight work conducted around 4:30 am. The project was being executed by J. Kumar Infraprojects Limited.
Earlier in February, another serious accident occurred when a girder slab from an under-construction Mumbai Metro line collapsed onto vehicles in the Mulund area, resulting in one fatality and injuries to three individuals.
The latest tragedy once again raises urgent concerns over construction site safety standards and enforcement mechanisms across major infrastructure projects in Mum
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