Construction Crane Collapses in Seattle, Washington, Killing Four People

SEATTLE, WA. – According to an online news story posted at komonews.com, a construction crane collapsed in Seattle, Washington, killing four people. While investigation into the incident is ongoing, an expert from South Carolina reportedly believes the collapse was caused by human error.*

Construction workers assigned to the project say that pieces from the crane that collapsed have been moved to a lot located at Mercer Street and Terry Avenue in Seattle. The Washington Department of Labor is examining the pieces and the rest of the crane to understand what circumstances led to the collapse. The collapse killed four people, injured four others, and damaged six vehicles.

KOMO News reports that the crane in question was certified in June 2018 after it was built. The third party that certified the crane found no issues with it at that time. An expert from South Carolina has told reporters that he believes the collapse was not caused by an issue with the crane but rather, by human error. 

The expert said that it appeared from videos of the collapse that construction workers were disassembling the crane and removed all of the pins that were holding parts of the crane mast together. When the wind picked up, the crane fell over because it did not have appropriate support, the expert said. 

The expert says pins should always be removed in sections while the crane is secured by another crane. In this situation, it appears that the workers removed all of the pins at the same time. The incident is still under investigation, and no official cause for the collapse has been released. 

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Source:https://komonews.com/news/local/crane-investigation-to-last-more-than-6-months