Tel Aviv: 2 killed in crane collapse
(VIDEO) Building crane disconnects from its anchoring, collapses over city street; two construction workers killed, at least seven people injured
The crane was set up near a new, tall building built on a street leading to Jaffa. It collapsed onto the street after being disconnected from its anchoring.
Video: Yaron Brenner
Two construction workers were killed and two other people working on the crane were trapped under the wreckage. They were rescued a few minutes later.
At least seven people were injured in the accident, one of them seriously. The rest sustained moderate and light wounds. They were evacuated to the Ichilov and Wolfson hospitals by Magen David Adom emergency services.
Police and Magen David Adom paramedics were dispatched to the scene, and there were severe disruptions to traffic and large numbers of police vehicles in the area.
Police Chief Moshe Karadi arrived at the scene. Home Front Command teams were also dispatched to the area.
Collapsed crane (Photo: Dafna Talmon)
Yiftah District Commander Motti Cohen said: "The crane that collapsed was 30-40 meters (about 98-131 feet) tall. The building's engineers are being interrogated as we speak. We are now in the first stages of the investigation."
An eyewitness told Ynet: "The arm of the crane fell on cars that were driving on Eilat Street, and some vehicles were hit. I think one woman who was in one of the cars was injured after a metal rafter went into her car and injured her hand."
A woman who lives in the area told Ynet: "I heard it fall, I live in the building next to where it happened. I thought it was an earthquake or that the building collapse. I saw a cloud of dust and smoke, and heard within seconds insane screams outside. They closed the whole street. People saw the crane fall on them."
Car hit by the crane (Photo: Avi Cohen)
Israel, a business owner in the area, said: "I heard a huge explosion and then saw the crane down over a car. After a few minutes the police and ambulances arrived. Part of the crane fell on a car in the area. The police arrived and began distancing us from the area."
Another eyewitness, Dan Michaeli, said: "I was walking on Eilat Street. I saw board coming apart and then the crane fell. I escaped and saw the crane falling from above. I began running and shouted to everyone 'run, run.' I saw an electricity wire fall and then the other part of the crane also fell."
Shlomi Altiniova, another eyewitness, told Ynet that "the entire horizontal part of the crane fell, and is now blocking the road. There is a crowd of people here and a lot of fire fighters. We heard a huge noise. When it fell, we heard the noise of a device or stones falling, and then we saw the whole thing coming down. The crane was taller than the 20 floors being built there."
Meital Yasur-Beit Or, Hanan Greenberg and Vered Luvitch contributed to the report
