4 min readFaridabadJun 5, 2026 06:37 PM IST
A day after three labourers were crushed to death when a gantry crane overturned in Faridabad, one of the workers injured in the accident is at risk of losing an arm. His family and co-workers alleged negligence even as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) maintained that the accident took place due to the rain and strong winds.
The crane, involved in the construction of a flyover connecting the Noida International Airport in Jewar to Faridabad, had overturned on Thursday afternoon, said police.
At the accident site near Panhera Khurd village in Faridabad on Friday, work was halted and a mangled red tin container lay where the crane fell. The container, a store room, was where workers had taken shelter around 2 pm after gusty winds and thundershowers swept across the NCR.
At the accident site on Friday, work was halted and a mangled red tin container lay where the crane fell. (Express Photo)
An employee of APCO Infratech, which is carrying out the work for the Ballabhgarh-Jewar Expressway, said they had helped dismantle the container and worked till late in the night. “No others were trapped (apart from the four),” he said.
A senior official from the NHAI, responsible for supervising the stretch, said it is not a case of negligence but an accident. “The incident happened due to changing air pressure. We have submitted a report to Headquarters and will be updating the police.”
The victims have been identified as Joydeep Kumar (22) from Purulia in West Bengal, Saktar Singh (29), an engineer from Gurdaspur (Punjab) and Manish Kumar (30) from Alwar (Rajasthan).
The survivor, S K Manek (28) from Bardhaman, described the incident from the ICU at Sarvodaya Hospital.
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“When the weather changed, rainwater had started collecting outside, so we went inside the container for shelter. Suddenly, we heard the crane move and tried to run… but my left arm got trapped in the doorway and was crushed,” he said.
Manek said doctors have told him he will be unable to work for at least two to three months..
He may even lose his arm, his relatives and co-workers said.
His colleague, Budhan Garai, 48, said doctors said his left arm needs to be amputated. “We got him discharged so that he could be taken to AIIMS Delhi for a second opinion and further treatment,” Garai said.
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APCO is paying for the medical expenses as of now.
Garai added that Manek has been working as a labourer for three years and was working at the current site since November last year.
“He was the store room in-charge while Joydeep was the store supervisor. Manek was on the day shift that day,” said Garai.
He also alleged negligence, saying it’s not ordinary for an 80 ton gantry to overturn.
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Manek’s maternal uncle and a colleague, S K Hirala, echoed Garai. “The crane was not locked during the lunch break, that is why it moved,” they alleged.
Joydeep’s brother-in-law, Bidhan Kumar, who arrived by flight Friday evening, said they would meet with the police and contractor first before formally deciding on filing a complaint.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ballabhgarh) Pratik Aggarwal said that an FIR will be lodged promptly as and when a complaint is received.
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