Two Dead, 20 Injured as Russian Floating Crane Capsizes in Sevastopol

Russian authorities are saying a criminal investigation exploring possible negligence will be launched after a floating crane capsized in Sevastopol on October 28. The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, said two people had been killed and a total of 20 injured when the crane fell onto its side in Yuzhnaya Bay.

Media reports state that the crane was undergoing a lifting test during the afternoon when it capsized. At least 15 people were reported to have fallen into the water and were being given medical attention, with seven reported to have been taken to a hospital. The two individuals who died, The Moscow Times reports, were identified as an electro-mechanic and a sailor.

The crane named Gregory Prosyankin was being built to support construction and maintenance work on nuclear submarines and surface vessels, The Moscow Times reports.

The project has been plagued by delays and financial problems. The crane was first announced in 2018 with a capacity to lift a maximum of 700 tons. It is 6,200 tons displacement. The project was intended to be completed by 2020.

Reports are that the crane was approximately 65 percent complete. Work was stopped in 2023, the newspapers report, and plans were being considered to disassemble the crane and move it away from the Sevastopol Marine Plant to be completed at another yard. It is unclear when work resumed on the crane.

Razvozhaev said the Main Investigative Department would be conducting the investigation into what was termed “an abnormal situation.”