Miami Crane Collpase Kills Two and Injures Five

Jenny Albano

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A section of a crane fell at a downtown high-rise condominium construction site in Miami and killed two of the workers and injured another five. The crane fell onto a home that the contractor used for storage. At first another worker was thought to be missing, but was later identified as one of the inured workers.

Canine's surveyed the site and did not find any other trapped people. But rescue workers still worked on securing a severely damaged wall before checking the are again. One of the survivors was in critical condition, while the other four did not have life-threatening injuries. One of the workers that did not make it died on scene while the other died at the hospital.

The crane's main vertical section was intact, but the part that fell was a 20-foot section that workers were raising to extend the equipment's reach, Carroll said. It plummeted 30 floors and smashed through the home's Spanish-tiled roof.

Florida does not regulate or license tower cranes and crane operators, but bills moving through the Legislature would change that. The ordinance will increase inspections and safety measures for lifting cranes and goes into effect Friday.

The accident occurred when a subcontractor was attempting to raise the crane section and it accidentally came loose. The U.S. Office of Safety and Health Administration had two investigators at the site.

The accident came 10 days after a 20-story crane collapsed at a New York construction site, killing seven people. Since then, New York City officials have told contractors that they can't raise or lower large cranes at construction sites unless a buildings inspector is there.