(Newswire.net — February 7, 2016) — The giant construction crane, which spanned a maximum height of 565 feet, collapsed onto Worth Street near Church Street in Tribeca at 8:25am.
Eyewitnesses of the chaotic scene said that they thought it was a strong earthquake as everything shook – buildings, cars, the ground. The quake was strong and the sound was frightening, there was panic in the downtown area, say those who were nearby on the street or in the buildings.
The crane was installed at the site on January 30th. It is assumed that a strong wind might of played a part in collapsing the giant crane on Friday morning.
This incident caused great material damage, officials said. David Wichs, 38, was killed instantly when the crane pinned him as he stood on Worth Street.
Thomas O’Brien, 73, was just feet away from the crane in his black Jeep. The crane smashed onto the roof of his car and O’Brien sustained a head injury. His daughter was with him. She was terrified but, fortunately, unharmed.
A 45-year-old woman also suffered because of the collapsed crane. Dawn Kojima, from New Jersey, was left with head and leg injuries.
More than 140 firefighters and several bystanders jumped in to help. A firefighter suffered minor injuries, officials said and added that the damage and death toll could have been far worse.
Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, said that the crane was in the process of being lowered because of very strong winds. On Friday morning the crane crew made the decision to bring the crane down to a secure position, but workers lost control and the crane plummeted to the ground, the mayor explained.
It is not exactly clear why the crane collapsed, but one expert explained that a height of 565-feet is dangerously high, and locals said that the giant crane had been making them nervous all week.