Thane: An autorickshaw driver and his passenger were injured after a hydraulic crane deployed at the Anand Nagar-Saket elevated freeway worksite toppled onto a safety barricade, which then struck their vehicle near Siddheshwar Lake on Eastern Express Highway on Thursday.The incident occurred around 1pm on the service road along the Mumbai-bound carriageway, triggering panic among pedestrians and motorists, who rushed to the spot after hearing a loud noise, and briefly halting traffic on the dense corridor.Bystanders rescued the autorickshaw driver, whose identity was not known, while the passenger, Farqoue Shaikh (29), a resident of Ambernath, was rushed to a nearby hospital. “The driver escaped with minor injuries, while the passenger suffered injuries to his left hand and is recuperating,” an official said. The autorickshaw was damaged.The incident is likely to be investigated by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is executing the work. MMRDA had not responded till press time on whether any action would be taken following the incident.The mishap has once again raised safety concerns over ongoing MMRDA infrastructure projects across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.Citizens complain that construction activity along busy roads is increasingly exposing commuters and motorists to hazards. “There is so much development work happening on city roads that motorists frequently encounter welding sparks or falling debris. Agencies should enforce strict safety measures rather than wait for a major mishap,” said motorist Ankur Thakkar.HL: Mishaps at MMRDA project sites this yearOct 8 | Anand Nagar-Saket Elevated Freeway, Thane WestHydraulic crane topples onto a safety barricade, which hits an autorickshaw near Siddheshwar Lake on Eastern Express Highway; driver and passenger injuredSept 16 | Kasarwadavli flyover, Ghodbunder Road, ThaneFlyover shut down indefinitely after barricading wall shows severe structural defects barely a year into its inaugurationAug 17 | Metro Line 9, Mira RoadGranite stones fall into a barricaded work zone at Medetiya Nagar station, with some puncturing the tyres of a passing school vanMay 5 | Sewri-Worli Connector, ParelA 19-year-old labourer, Ravi Giri, dies after a steel frame being shifted by a crane hits him at a construction site near KEM HospApril 15 | Metro Line 2B, BKCA 400-tonne mobile crane topples while lifting a precast beam near Asian Heart Hospital due to a mechanical failure. No one injured, but incident severely disrupts trafficFeb 14 | Metro Line 4, MulundA parapet segment from an under-construction viaduct falls onto an auto and a car passing below on LBS Road, killing one person and injuring three
