Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 29: A police constable lost his life after a heavy piling rig collapsed at an under-construction flyover site in Mumbai, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The incident took place late Tuesday night on the northbound stretch of the Sion-Panvel Highway in the Mankhurd area. The victim, Santosh Gopal Chavan, was riding his motorcycle home when the piling rig—used for drilling foundation piles—toppled and struck him at the construction site.

Severely injured in the impact, Chavan was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, according to police officials. He was attached to the Nehru Nagar Police Station and was on deputation to the east control room in Chembur at the time.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the rig may have been placed on unstable ground, which possibly led to the collapse. Authorities have begun legal proceedings, with Mankhurd Police Station initiating a case against the contractor for alleged negligence.

Officials are currently examining the role of contractors and site supervisors, and reviewing whether required safety measures were properly implemented at the construction site.

This incident adds to a series of recent construction-related mishaps in the city. On April 15, a crane toppled during Metro work in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, though no injuries were reported. Earlier in February, a girder slab collapse at an under-construction Metro line in Mulund resulted in one death and injuries to three others.