Two Tirupati town planning officers suspended over crane accident that killed three
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
The crane lies on its back over a crushed fence at the edge of the pit on DBR Hospital Road in Tirupati on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar
The Tirupati Municipal Corporation (TMC) has suspended two of its town planning officers over Tuesday’s (September 29, 2026) accident on DBR Hospital Road, where a crane toppled into an excavated pit at a construction site, killing three people and injuring three others.
The preliminary inquiry conducted by TMC Commissioner M. Jayakrishna found that the officials had been negligent in supervising the work site under their purview. The builder had failed to adhere to the setback norms and excavated earth beyond the earmarked portion, the inquiry found, and this was the main reason for the action against the officials.
The crane that toppled into an excavated pit at a construction site on DBR Hospital Road in Tirupati on Tuesday, killing three people. | Photo Credit: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar
The crane, deployed to excavate earth from the pit, tilted and capsized into it on Tuesday (September 29, 2026). Rama Rao, 45, from Odisha, site engineer Sandeep Kumar, 40, from Srikakulam, and watchman Gangaiah, 40, died on the spot. Crane operators Shaik Farhan and Naushad, both from Bihar, and worker Murugaiah from Yerpedu were grievously injured and taken to hospital.
Mr. Jayakrishna had said on Tuesday that the contractor had the required permission for the building, and that a case of criminal negligence would be registered against the builder. He has now said a fair and transparent probe would be conducted with senior officials to identify the actual causes of the accident.
He also said the strength of the Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Municipal Corporation High School building, next to the site, would be checked.
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
