Vizag Shipyard accident: The mishap happened in a span of ten seconds, committee reports

A massive crane collapse at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), which claimed 10 lives was inspected by an FSL committee The committee of experts concluded that the accident took place due to defects in the crane design and structure and with the automation not functioning properly. It was revealed that the crane collapsed with a loud noise in just 10 seconds as the bolts fitted to the basement broke and tilted to the side.

The committee was constituted by collector Vinay Chand with the AU Engineering College senior professors Sasibhusana Rao, K Srinivasa Rao, N Ramanaiah, P Mallikarjuna Rao, a retired officer, Dr. B Parvatiswar Rao, R & B Executive Engineer Kesava Rao, Visakhapatnam RDO Pencala Kishore. The committee revealed that it had collected details from all angles for 10 days and prepared and submitted the report.

The collector, who disclosed the report to the media, said the police would identify the culprits and take further action. On the other hand, the shipyard decided on May 30, 2009 to purchase a heavy crane for industry needs. Global tenders were issued on November 1, 2012. Anupama, a Gujarat-based company, won the contract and bought the crane for Rs 17.75 crore.

However, during the load testing in 2018, it was found that the carbon bristles were blown out and the insulators were damaged. The Committee of Experts noted that the shortcomings were still not rectified. On July 20 this year, load testing of 36 tonnes was carried out. The committee of experts concluded that on August 1, a load of 70 tonnes went into testing without rectifying the defects from time to time.

The structure, design and crane drawings were not reconsidered by a third party. The crane structure with a capacity of 70 tons should carry a weight of 110 tons. However, the collector explained that the experts concluded that the accident was due to lack of such arrangements and technical defects.