Mumbai Port crane catches fire, overturns while lifting cargo; two injured

The Mumbai Port fire brigade rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. Representational Pic

A crane caught fire and overturned while lifting cargo from a vessel at Mumbai Port in the Ballard Estate area on Sunday evening, leaving two crane operators injured, according to the Mumbai Police.

The incident took place around 7.30 pm at the BPS port area near Pier Pop. The Barbados-flagged vessel Vienna was carrying 140 metric tonnes of cargo, which was being lifted with the help of two cranes operated by Barkat.

Crane overturns after load shifts

According to the police, the strap securing the cargo to one of the cranes came loose due to an imbalance while the cargo was being lifted. The load then shifted onto the second crane, causing it to lift off the ground.

The crane's front telescopic boom subsequently struck the vessel. The impact and friction triggered a major fire, following which the crane overturned.

Fire brought under control

The Mumbai Port fire brigade rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The incident caused concern in the port area as the crane caught fire while cargo-lifting operations were underway.

Two Barkat crane operators, identified as Ranjit Singh and Nishant Singh, were injured in the incident. They were rushed to St George Hospital for treatment.

The Yellow Gate Police are investigating the incident to determine the exact sequence of events and the cause of the accident.