Signing you in

Eleven days before his 22nd birthday, Mohammad Khokhar was speaking to his cousin about the family’s plans to celebrate together. Minutes later, a construction crane crashed from the 11th floor of an under-construction building at JP North society in Mira Road, Mumbai, killing the 21-year-old diploma student. On Friday, the family was preparing for his last rites instead.

“I had a conversation with him minutes before the accident took place. We were looking forward to celebrating his birthday on July 26 however this unfortunate incident has taken place,” said his cousin Farhan Shaikh (21). Khokhar had been pursuing a diploma in Computer Graphics for the past year.

At least one person died and two others were injured in the collapse, which took place around 8.30 pm on Thursday at the construction site near the JK Iris residential complex, where a multi-level parking tower is under construction. The crane toppled from the 11th floor, damaging several parked vehicles and triggering panic among residents.

According to the preliminary investigation, the tower crane was operational when it lost balance and came crashing into the society premises. Police, Fire Department personnel and rescue teams rushed to the spot.

“The crane was operational and it appears the operator lost balance due to which the crane fell off the 11th floor. The operator appears to be a young man who too had sustained injuries in the matter,” said Rahul Patil, senior inspector of Kashi Gaon police station.

An officer said the operator was raising the height of the crane when the top section most likely became heavier, throwing the crane off balance and sending it crashing to the ground.

Police are also probing whether the operator had the required training to operate the crane and whether the contractor had followed mandatory safety precautions before the collapse.

Residents claim the construction site had been a source of concern for months. Several alleged that work routinely continued late into the night despite repeated complaints to the authorities.

A resident, requesting anonymity, said construction had been underway for more than 18 months and that complaints about noise and late-night work had gone unaddressed.

Mohsin Khan, a JP resident, alleged that work briefly continued even after the mishap. “I even recorded a video of the construction work going on. When I asked, no reply was given by the officials who were present there. Thereafter, the officials and the construction worker evacuated the place,” he said.