Multiple people are killed in giant crane collapse after it crashed through two buildings – including a retirement home – in British Columbia
- A crane attached to a high-rise under construction in Kelowna collapsed at around 11 a.m. on Monday
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Adam MacIntosh said the crane fell and hit an adjacent building and the roof of an ‘old-age home’
- Several workers were on site when the crane collapsed, resulting in multiple fatalities and several injuries
- It remains unclear how many people were killed and injured in the collapse
- The incident is now under investigation by British Columbia authorities
A crane attached to a high-rise under construction in Kelowna, British Columbia, collapsed on Monday, causing multiple fatalities and sending several people to the hospital.
Several workers were near the crane when it collapsed, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Adam MacIntosh said at a news conference following the collapse
He gave no further details about the victims, saying that ‘not all persons have been properly identified.’ One person was unaccounted for, MacIntosh said.
It remains unclear how many people were killed and injured in the collapse.
A crane attached to a 25-story residential building under construction collapsed in Kelowna, British Columbia on Monday, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries
As the crane fell, it hit an adjacent building and the roof of an ‘old-age home’
MacIntosh said 911 calls about the collapse came in at around 11 a.m. on Monday, when the crane, which was attached to the 25-story residential tower that is being built, fell and hit an adjacent professional building and the roof of an ‘old-age home.’
Police and fire officials immediately responded to the scene, he said.
The extent of the damage to the buildings is unknown, according to MacIntosh, and ‘the area remains unstable and unsafe.’
It has been evacuated as local officials declared a state of emergency, according to CNN, and a structural engineer has been brought in to secure the area.
Video from the collapse shows part of the crane broken off from the rest of its body, as the videographer says: ‘The top of that crane is missing. Look at it.’
The video also shows a car with its hood smashed in from the attack, as the man says, ‘It’s like, dangerous to be where I am right now.’
Video taken by a bystander at the scene shows that a car’s hood was damaged in the collapse
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Adam MacIntosh said the area remains unsafe
Harry Bains, the minister of labor in British Columbia, said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the collapse.
‘My thoughts are with the workers affected, and I send my sincere condolences to the families, friends and co-workers of the victims,’ he said in a statement.
‘All workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace – even one injury or death is too many,’ he continued. ‘This is a heartbreaking reminder that we must strive to ensure the safety of all workers to prevent incidents like this from happening.’
The incident is now being investigated by WorkSafeBC, the British Columbia Coroners Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.