VISAKHAPATNAM: In a series of mishaps, three relatives of a man who got crushed to death under a crane at the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on Saturday, died in a road accident while heading to Vizag on Sunday. Three other people suffered injuries in the accident.
The crash happened around 4 am in Srikakulam district, when the family was travelling from Kharagpur in West Bengal after hearing that their relative Bhaskara Rao died in the mishap in Vizag the previous day.
“The SUV they were in crashed into a stationary lorry on the roadside as the driver lost control,” Kanchili sub-inspector of police Durga Prasad said, adding that the accident happened on NH 16, near Jalantrakota village in Kanchili mandal.
The police took the family out of the mangled vehicle and shifted them to hospital. A case has been registered.The deceased were Lukalapu Nagamani, 48, Lukalapu Lavanya, 23, and driver Routu Dwaraka, 23, all residents of Kharagpur. The injured are Lukalapu Rajasekhar, Lukalapu Maithili and Dineswara Rao, who is said to be in a critical condition.
HSL gives Rs 50 L compensation
Meanwhile, the HSL management said it would pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the kin of those who died when the 70-tonne crane collapsed on Saturday. The announcement was made after Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao (Avanthi Srinivasa Rao) and union leaders held discussions with the HSL management.
Four permanent and six temporary workers will receive the compensation, HSL CMD Sarat Babu said. “This is in addition to the statutory benefits permanent employees get,” he added. The eleventh person who died in the mishap is yet to be identified.
The decision to provide the compensation was made despite HSL’s poor financial status, the CMD said, adding that overdraft from banks was being used for working capital to run the shipyard. “Barring this, no accident has happened at the shipyard in the last five years. Besides the compensation, HSL will offer permanent jobs to the kin of the four HSL employees, and though there is no obligation to give employment to temporary workers, maintenance work will be given to the kin of the six contract workers who died,” he said.
Sarat Babu further said the HSL management had elaborate discussions with officials of the Chief Minister’s Office, Defence Ministry and the district administration after the accident.He said the crane was brand new and had the capacity to lift 70 tonnes. “To operationalise it, load-bearing trials were conducted. However, during the final trial, with 50 tonnes, as per the protocol, the crane toppled,” he said, adding that two committees - an internal HSL committee and one formed by the district administration - will inquire into the incident in a transparent manner. “The committee will suggest action to be taken and precautions to prevent such incidents,” he said.
Terming the incident “unfortunate”, Srinivasa Rao said HSL has a reputation of maintaining the highest standards, and such an incident has never happened before. “The shipyard brought international fame to the city. As per the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, we held talks with the management, union leaders and stakeholders. The victims’ kin will get Rs 50 lakh, which is the highest-ever compensation amount,” he said.
Stating that at a recent district-level review meeting industry representatives were asked to ensure safety measures were in place to prevent accidents, the minister said the management is responsible for workers’ safety. “We will try to provide compensation to the victims on behalf of the State government as well,” he added. Earlier, the victims’ relatives staged a protest at the shipyard demanding adequate compensation as they lost their breadwinners. Most of them broke down while making their demand. The minister and the HSL CMD pacified them and promised justice.
The Vizag police, meanwhile, registered a case under Section 304 of the IPC in connection with the mishap and launched an investigation. They are likely to question the agencies involved in operationalising the crane.