Nagpur: A precast concrete segment being erected for Phase-II of the Nagpur Metro project crashed on Friday evening after a winch wire rope snapped mid-operation in the Wanadongri area. The incident exposed an electro-mechanical failure in the heavy launching equipment used for elevated corridor construction. No injuries were reported, as workers were not present under the suspended load at the time of the incident.The incident occurred around 7.30pm at Reach 3A on the Hingna corridor stretch, a busy arterial road witnessing heavy daily traffic near a popular retail supermarket, where the private contractor was carrying out routine segment erection work using a launching girder. While five segments were successfully placed, the accident occurred during the lifting of the sixth concrete segment.According to senior MahaMetro officials, the left-hand side winch (a mechanical device mounted to the structural beam to lift, lower, or pull heavy loads) of the launching girder developed a technical snag while hoisting the segment, triggering the equipment’s safety alarm. Engineers at the site attempted to bring the suspended segment down in a controlled manner after detecting the fault.The concrete block, initially hanging about 6 metres above the ground, was gradually lowered when the winch wire rope suddenly snapped at around 2 metres above ground level. The failure caused the heavy segment to drop to the ground within the barricaded construction zone. Work on the Hingna stretch was stopped after the accident. A video of the incident, shot by a passerby, soon went viral on social media. After the wire snapped, the fuel pipe also burst, resulting in a heavy flow of fuel from the girder onto the road.A senior official said an order has been placed for a new winch system costing around ₹25 lakh. The precast segment that collapsed is estimated to cost about ₹3 lakh, taking the total loss in the incident to nearly ₹28 lakh. The official added that further investigation is underway to find out the exact cause behind the incident.The fall of a precast segment, which weighs several tonnes, could have had serious consequences if workers or passersby were present in the immediate vicinity. Authorities said the incident was contained within the restricted work area, as safety protocols during such operations require the area below lifting activity to remain completely clear.
