PUNE: In an incident that could have led to a major tragedy, a big pilot ring machine (crane) being operated at the Metro rail project site collapsed at Kasarwadi on Pimpri-Chinchwad road around 2.15 pm. 

No casualties were reported but traffic was halted for a few hours. According to MahaMetro officials, the machine weighed around 120 tonnes. The ground below the crane caved in leading to its fall. As the MahaMetro officials received the information about the incident, the Rapid Action Force reached the spot and directed the vehicular movement.

It was not possible to lift the machine by a hydra crane, hence the Metro officials had to bring another crane weighing 200 tonnes from another workstation of metro rail. Later, the pilot ring machine was lifted and the vehicular movement was restored.

The operator of the machine has over six years of experience on such machines. He was trained and has been working from past six months at the MahaMetro site. Soon after the incident, traffic police officers and quick response teams of MahaMetro took charge to regulate traffic. MahaMetro has imposed a fine on the contractor and directed the department concerned to take action against him.