March 24, 2008

New York crane collapse claims seven lives

A giant crane collapsed in New York on March 15, killing seven people and injuring at least 17.

The crane stood at least 19 stories high and was attached at various points to the side of a half-built apartment tower. The crane was to be extended so work could start on a new level of the planned 43-story building. A piece of steel fell and sheared off one of the ties holding the crane to the building, causing it to detach and topple. The crane then split into pieces as it fell, pulverized a four-story townhouse and demolished parts of five other buildings. Six of the dead were working on the new high-rise. A dust cloud mushroomed over the neighbourhood, while rubble piled several stories high. Cars were overturned and crushed. The next day construction crews positioned a second crane to help remove pieces of the collapsed crane, as well as piles of bricks and debris from the middle of the street.

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