Mobile crane collapsed in a densely populated residential area in Tokyo

211209 tokyo rough terrain accident 2

On the morning of the 16th November, at a demolition worksite in a residential area in Kita-ku, Tokyo, the rough terrain crane working on-site suddenly collapsed and turned upside down. 

Fortunately, no one was injured, but it has not been removed, and more than 10 households in the area have been evacuated.

Around 10 am in the morning, at the demolition work site in the residential area of ​​Akabanedai, Kita-ku, a male worker has called 110, saying, “The crane has turned over during work.”

Japan news live reporting of the crane accident.

When police officers rushed to the scene, a rough terrain crane weighing about 13 tonnes collapsed and turned upside down in a place that looked like a cliff on a hill in a residential area.

The driver was not injured by himself.

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the crane was working to lift an excavator that was at the construction site to a hill at that time, and it seems that the weight (load) caused the crane to lose its balance.

211209 tokyo rough terrain accident 1

Residents near the site

A woman in her 40s who lives near the site said, “I was at home in the morning, and I was surprised to hear a loud noise. This is a residential area and the road is narrow, so I’m scared.”

In addition, Sumiyoshi Eto (78), vice chairman of the local neighbourhood association, said, “I’m glad there were no injured people, but some residents have been evacuated and can’t return to their homes. I want them to recover as soon as possible.”

Speedy Recovery

The recovery of the rough terrain has been planned to carry out in the same night, but they faced difficulties due to the dense housing and narrow roads.

Due to the high concentration of houses at the site and safety measures, about 30 households in the vicinity were evacuated to hotels.

The demised crane was removed on the morning of the 17th November and they have checked the surroundings to be safe before sending the residents back to their homes.

Cranepedia comments

I was quite amazed by the fact that they are able to carry out the recovery in such a short time frame of planning. Given such a tight space, to bring another unit of crane is a daunting task, let alone carrying out the recovery. Unfortunately, I could not find more photos of how the recovery has been carried out.

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