Four workers killed after dumper hits crane during Delhi night road work

A dumper crash during night road work in Delhi’s Sarita Vihar killed four CCTV installation workers, raising concerns over safety measures at work sites

New Delhi: For 23-year-old Umesh, the night shift was a way to supplement the income he earned driving an auto during the day. For Praveen, the work was the only source of income for his family. Suraj had moved to Delhi from Uttarakhand hoping to give his children a better education.

By Sunday morning, all three were dead, along with 26-year-old Anoop, after a dumper rammed into a stationary crane and an auto-rickshaw carrying workers engaged in installing CCTV cameras for traffic police in southeast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar.

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The accident at 3.20 am not only claimed four lives but left two others injured, including Akash alias Tushar, who was one of three cousins working at the site.

For their families, the tragedy has raised questions about the safety arrangements at a site where workers were carrying out road work in the early hours, when visibility was low and heavy vehicles continued to pass.

Police are examining the circumstances under which the workers were deployed, the positioning of the crane and the auto-rickshaw, and the safety measures at the site. Relatives, meanwhile, have alleged that adequate precautions such as barricades, blinkers and warning signs were not in place.

Umesh had joined the CCTV installation company around six months ago after a friend suggested the job. He was paid Rs 350 for a night’s work.

During the day, the 23-year-old would drive an auto to support his family. At night, he worked on CCTV installation projects. The company also paid Rs 500 as auto-rickshaw rental and CNG expenses, according to his family.

On Saturday night, Umesh left his home in Sangam Vihar for work, an hour earlier than usual, the family said.

By the time his night shift was over, his family received the news that would change their lives.

His father Ramdas, who earns a living through tailoring, had watched his son work hard in Delhi for years after the family came from Rasulpur-Araura village in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj.

Umesh was the third among six brothers. He leaves behind two sons, two-year-old Anoop and eight-month-old Harsh.

His younger brother Devdutt said the family reached the spot after being informed about the accident and found Umesh’s body trapped under the rear wheel of the dumper.

The family alleged that it took considerable time to remove the body and that a passing vehicle was eventually used to move the dumper slightly, allowing the body to be taken out.

Umesh’s maternal uncle Pappu said a co-worker called around 4.30 am to inform the family about the accident.

“During the day he drove an auto and at night he went for the CCTV installation work. He was working to provide for his children,” the family said.

For Praveen’s family, the accident was particularly devastating as three cousins were involved in the same work.

Praveen (35), Anoop (26) and Akash (20) were cousins. Praveen and Anoop died, while Akash remains hospitalised with serious injuries.

Praveen had been working for the company for around seven years and had worked on several projects, according to his family. He was the sole earning member of his household and had two children.

His elder brother Brajesh said Praveen had also brought Anoop and Akash into the company.

“Three members of the same family were there. Two are gone and one is fighting for his life,” the family said.

The third family hit by the tragedy was that of Suraj, 34, an HR and administration manager with the company.

Originally from Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand, Suraj lived in a rented house in Munirka village with his wife Ganga and their two children. His elderly parents continued to live in their native village.

According to relative Rajendra, Suraj had moved to Delhi because he wanted better educational opportunities for his children.

He was the sole earning member of his family, relatives said.

His death has now left the family facing uncertainty over the children’s education, household expenses and their future in Delhi.

The tragedy has also brought renewed focus on the risks faced by workers who carry out road-related work during the night.

The company had permission to carry out the work between 10 pm and 5 am, according to the information available to the family. Relatives alleged that despite the work being conducted on a busy road at night, adequate safety arrangements were not visible at the site.

Police are examining whether barricades, blinkers and warning signs had been placed and whether workers provided required safety equipment. The role, if any, of the company will be established during the investigation, officials said.

At the time of the accident, two workers were on the crane while others were near the auto-rickshaw.

Worker Sudhir, who was present at the spot, told police that those on the crane saw the dumper approaching and tried to alert their colleagues below.

But before they could reach them, the dumper crashed into the crane and then rammed into the auto-rickshaw.

The impact left several workers critically injured. Four later died during treatment.

The dumper driver fled the scene but was subsequently apprehended, police said. The vehicle has been seized.

Investigators are examining CCTV footage, the dumper’s route from Noida, its speed, the exact point of impact, and the positioning of the crane and auto-rickshaw. They are also recording statements of injured workers and witnesses.

For the families, however, the questions are now more immediate than the reconstruction of an accident.

There are two very young children waiting for a father who will not return, a family that has lost two cousins and is praying for a third, and children whose education was the reason their father left his village for Delhi.

What began as another night shift to earn a few hundred rupees ended with four families waking up to an irreversible loss.