Design, erection defects led to HSL crane crash, says report

Panel levels charges against initial contracting firm

The committee comprising Andhra University professors and R and B superintending engineer, led by the Visakhapatnam urban RDO, which probed the crane crash at the Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, has submitted its report to Collector V. Vinay Chand on Wednesday. The committee reportedly came to the conclusion that the accident had occurred due to design and erection defects and levelled charges against the Mumbai-based firm to which the initial contract was given.

The collapsed crane was a jetty level luffing 70 MT structure. At least 10 people, including four HSL employees, died in the incident on August 1, when load trial run was being done. The accident occurred between the building dock and the spillway berth.

Work resumes

The work on the crane reportedly commenced in 2009, when the contract was given to Mumbai-based Anupama Industries. The company left the work midway in 2012.

As per sources in HSL, the work recommenced this year by another contracting firm, Greenfields Corporation, and Lead Engineers and Squad 7 were also involved in the work.

Left blames HSL

Meanwhile, reacting to the report, the Left parties said that the HSL management was also to be blamed for the accident.

For eight years till the work was resumed, the crane was left neglected and there was no maintenance and this was also one of the reasons for the accident, said Ch. Narasinga Rao, State Secretariat member of CPI (M).

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