22 People Are Injured In A Crane Accident In Austin
A collision between two construction cranes on a building site in Austin sent more than 20 people to the hospital on Wednesday, most with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Austin Statesman reports that the collision happened at approximately 9:38 a.m. in the 1600 Block of Robert Browning Street, near the Dell Children’s Medical Center, and just north of Mueller State Park in Austin.
According to a statement released by Austin-Travis County officials, say that a red boom crane crashed into a shorter crane on the job site. The cables from both cranes became entangled, and the end of the boom crane broke off but remained attached to the rest of the structure.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Services Commander said that they received an initial call indicating a structural collapse at the job site. Not finding a collapse, emergency crews determined that two cranes collided and became entangled. Also responding to the scene of the incident were the Austin Police Department, the Austin Fire Department, and federal investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
One of the crane operators was stuck inside the crane cabin some 150 feet above the ground for more than an hour. Emergency crews said that the operator was uninjured and would help bring him down if necessary. However, at the time of the report, it was noted that the operator was helping to stabilize the crane.
Some equipment seems to have fallen from the cranes, causing injuries to 22 workers on the site. Sixteen of those injured were said to have non-life-threatening injuries.
Fire Battalion Chief Mark Bridges said that although the bases of the cranes are stable, they remained entangled at the top and that they were warning people to keep away.
At the time of the report, officials did not know the cause of the collision. The incident is under investigation by both local officials and OSHA.
