Collapsed tower crane that killed 3 workers in Hong Kong suspected to have had ‘obvious faults’ at its base
- Unloaded 65-tonne tower crane collapsed onto containers at construction site on Anderson Road, killing three workers and injuring six others
- Three men killed, an electrician, an engineer and an engineering assistant, were aged between 22 and 41
A 65-tonne tower crane suspected to have had “obvious faults” at its base collapsed and killed three workers and injured six others at a public housing construction site in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
The government has ordered an investigation into the rare accident, but engineers said they suspected poor workmanship in the welding of steel beams at the base of the unloaded crane on the Sau Mau Ping site contributed to its failure.
The three men killed – an electrician, an engineer and an engineering assistant – were aged between 22 and 41, with two certified dead at the Anderson Road site and one later in hospital.
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Crane accident kills 3 workers at Hong Kong construction site
The engineer was pulled from under the crane seven hours after it collapsed just before 11am.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said the government would investigate the accident and hold those responsible to account.
“We preliminarily suspect the base of the crane had obvious faults,” Sun said after visiting the Housing Society site in the afternoon.
He said the contractor had suspended the use of two other cranes on the site – where work started in June – until they were found to be safe.