Seven workers were injured, three seriously, in a crane accident on Saturday at Imabari Shipbuilding, Japan’s largest shipyard group, located in Ehime Prefecture. The incident occurred shortly after 11:00 local time on July 12, when a ship block detached from a crane and plummeted to the ground inside the yard’s operational zone.

According to local emergency services, three of the injured workers sustained serious arm and hip fractures, while four others, including a bystander, were treated for less severe injuries. All victims were transported to hospital and are reportedly conscious and in stable condition.

The accident is the latest blow for Imabari Shipbuilding, which is already under intense regulatory pressure following a string of labour and safety violations uncovered earlier this year. In a rare disciplinary move, Japan’s Immigration Services Agency imposed a five-year ban on the company, prohibiting it from recruiting or training foreign technical trainees.

That ruling followed an investigation that revealed widespread violations of labour protections at Imabari’s training facilities in Imabari City. More than 2,000 foreign nationals, many from Southeast Asia, were relocated to other companies as a result of the ruling.

Authorities from the Ehime Prefectural Government have dispatched investigators to the site to examine the cause of the crane malfunction and assess compliance with Japan’s stringent occupational safety laws. Preliminary reports indicate a possible equipment failure, though human error has not been ruled out.