At around 3:00 pm on February 21st, an accident occurred at a tower condominium construction site in the Oak Ridge area of Vancouver, British Columbia, when a load being carried by a crane fell.
One person died because of this accident.
The Vancouver Fire Department believes that for some reason the load separated from the crane, hit the 25th floor of a building under construction, and then fell onto the victim on the ground. The cargo fell from about the 30th floor and hit several floors, breaking fences, and windows.
Approximately 1,700 workers were evacuated at the scene, and Camby Street was closed between West 41st and 45th Avenues. There have been three crane-related accidents in Metro Vancouver since the start of 2024, including this one.
The first incident occurred when a crane collapsed at a construction site in Burnaby, closing part of Lougheed Highway. In the second case, a crane broke and fell at a construction site in Surrey. There were no injuries in either incident.
According to the City News e-edition, orders have been issued to stop work and the use of cranes at the Oak Ridge accident site to ensure safety, and WorkSafeBC is investigating the cause of the accident.
Initially, the victim’s name was not released, but reports indicate that the victim was a woman who worked at the scene.