Four killed as construction crane collapses in Seattle
At least four people were killed and three others sustained injuries after a construction crane collapsed on the new Google Seattle campus Saturday. Six cars were crushed underneath the crane. Authorities said two of the dead were crane operators and the other two were commuters.
The incident was reported from near the intersection of Mercer Street and Fairview Avenue near Interstate 5 shortly before 3:30 p.m. The cause of the accident, however, could not be ascertained.
A 25-year-old mother and her 4-month-old daughter as well as a 28-year-old man were taken to Harborview Medical Center, according to Seattle Fire spokesman Lance Garland. A fourth person also was injured and treated at the scene.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office said it would not release names of people who died until Monday.
The city is a sight to dozens of construction cranes building office towers and apartment buildings. As of January, there were about 60 construction cranes in Seattle, more than any other American city.
The National Weather Service in Seattle said a line of showers moved over Seattle just about the time the crane fell.
An observation station on nearby Lake Union showed winds kicked up with gusts of up to 23 mph at 3:28 p.m., just about the time officials said the crane fell.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness, who was working in a building nearby, described the incident as 'terrifying'.