One dead, three injured after piece of a construction crane falls in Fort Lauderdale
Authorities reopened the Southeast 3rd Avenue Bridge over the New River, which was closed after the incident.
A piece of a construction crane fell onto a drawbridge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Thursday afternoon. One worker was killed and three other people were injured, one seriously.
The incident occurred when workers were attempting to increase the height of a crane during the construction of a skyscraper. A section that was to be added to the crane broke off, falling onto the bridge that crosses the New River and taking with it an employee, who died after suffering fatal injuries. This was explained by Stephen Gollan, chief of the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, who added:
The authorities blocked all passage in both directions, both for vehicles and boats. They also announced that they were checking the building under construction "floor by floor" and "securing the area around the collapse."
The collapse also left a blockage in the bridge. Gollan therefore warned that passage will remain blocked until "structural integrity of the bridge" can be assured. By midday Friday, authorities announced that it had reopened.
The scene remains under investigation.