On 31 July 2023, 17 workers were killed and 3 injured when a girder machine fell on them while working on the third section of the Samruddhi Motorway in Maharashtra's Thane district. The machine is a mobile gantry crane designed specifically for bridge construction.

Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are on the scene after a crane collapsed on the slab of a bridge in Shahapur tehsil of Thane district, according to news agency ANI. According to the NDRF, at least five people are believed to be trapped within the fallen structure. So far, 16 bodies have been recovered, and three people have been reported injured: NDRF

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sympathies to the victims' families. "I am deeply saddened by the tragic accident in Shahapur, Maharashtra." My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of those who died. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been hurt. "The NDRF and local administration are working at the scene, and all possible steps are being taken to ensure proper assistance to those affected. Each deceased's next of kin will get an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF. The injured would be compensated with Rs. 50,000." Modi added.

According to News agencies, the machine is a special-purpose mobile gantry crane used in bridge construction. It is used in highway and high-speed rail bridge construction projects to install precast box girders.

A rescue operation is underway involving police and fire department employees, as well as local agencies. The death toll is expected to grow, according to PTI, quoting an official.

Samruddhi Mahamarg or Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway

The Samruddhi Mahamarg (also known as the Nagpur-Mumbai Motorway or the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg) and Maharashtra Expressway-2 (ME-2) are access-controlled motorways in Maharashtra, India. 

It is one of the country's longest greenfield road projects, connecting the state's two capital cities, Mumbai and Nagpur, the state's third-largest and vice-capital city. The state infrastructure agency Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is leading the project, which is planned under the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) methodology.