Tragedy averted as crane falls at Cantt railway station

A major tragedy was averted when a huge hydraulic crane collapsed near the parking area of the Jalandhar Cantonment railway station on Saturday.

Eleven two-wheelers, including bikes and Activa scooters, got crushed under its heavy arm while its head fell on a car parked in the area. The shed of a temporary toilet also got damaged. The cemented floor on which the crane collapsed also got smashed. Thankfully, no one suffered any injury during the incident. Even the driver in the crane managed to jump out safely in time as it turned on one side.

The incident occurred when the staff of a contractor was lifting some load and shifting it to a nearby location. The driver was engaged in crane jacking to raise the height by adding more sections when it lost its grip on the ground and turned on one side.

A major renovation work has been underway for the past two years at the railway station. The site where the crane collapse took place is close to the platform and the staircase used by the passengers to move to the next platform. It was also about 150 m from the track from where hundreds of trains pass by daily.

The staff at the railway station said they had informed the higher officials about the incident. The staff of the contractor maintained, “There could have been a technical glitch with the crane. We cannot rule that out. The crane experts have been called in. They shall dismantle all parts of it. It is a slow process..” All owners are expected to get compensation for the losses incurred from the contractor.

Jalandhar