india

Updated: Apr 29, 2019 00:11 IST

A 28-year-old youth from Uttar Pradesh died when the crane that he was operating at the Haldia dock complex in Bengal’s East Midnapore district caught fire on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses told the police that Dravin Rai jumped from the driver’s cabin to save himself but a net that some workers held below could not break the fall. Rai landed on the ground and was critically injured. He was rushed to a hospital in Kolkata where he died.

Rai was loading coal into a cargo vessel when the fire broke out. He jumped from a height of around 50 feet.

A dock worker recorded a video of the incident. The short clip,showing Rai jumping from the crane while flames engulfled the base of the huge machine, was telecast by a local news channel on Sunday.

“The crane driver succumbed to his injuries after he was taken to a hospital in Kolkata,” said Partha Ghosh, district magistrate, East Midnapore.

“I have learnt that some workers laid out a net and asked him to jump after a fire broke out at berth number 13. But he landed on the ground from a height of around 50 feet. He sustained multiple injuries,” added Ghosh.

Ten fire tenders were pressed into service to control the blaze. The berth where the incident took place is operated by private companies.

“We are yet to trace the cause of fire. We have shut down all operations at the berth and an investigation has started,” Amal Datta, general manager (administration), Haldia Port, said.