Two construction workers died yesterday when strong winds took out a tower crane in Krakow, Poland, while two others were injured.
One of the deceased was working on the roof of a building, while the other was on the ground. One of them was declared dead at the scene while the other died later from his injuries.
The regular hammerhead tower crane with a height of around 30 metres – was working on a five-story building and was out of service at the time due to the storm. It seemed to go over sideways while another crane alongside ‘weather vaned’ the entire event caught on video.
A statement from the developer, the Murapol Group said: “On 17th February, on the construction site being developed by the Murapol Group in Krakow, the tower crane overturned as a result of a violent gust of wind and accompanying sudden weather phenomena.
All cranes at Murapol sites across Poland were taken out of service and put into their safe out of service wind mode. Therefore, there was no operator in the cabin of the machine.
Unfortunately, four people working for a sub-contractor were injured, one fatally. The Murapol Group makes every effort and will provide the emergency services and safety authorities with the necessary information to explain the causes of the situation. At the same time, we express our deep sympathy for the family of the person who died as a result of this unfortunate accident.”
