Eight labourers working on the state government's project of interlinking rivers - on the section between Nira and Bhima rivers in Pune district - died after the crane they were in crashed down.
The incident took place between 5 pm and 6 pm yesterday near Akole village in Indapur taluka. A case of accidental death has been registered at the Bhigwan police station, which falls under the jurisdiction of Pune rural police.
Assistant inspector Nilkanta Rathod said, "The incident took place after the labourers working in the tunnel had finished for the day. Around 5 pm, when they were coming down with the help of a crane, which was linked to a rope, the wheel on which the rope had been aligned broke, and the crane crashed down from a height of 250 feet, trapping the workers. Our team is on the site and rescue operation is on. Of the eight, seven were from Andhra Pradesh and one was a local."