Four people have died after a construction crane on the new Google Seattle campus collapsed, pinning six cars underneath.
One woman and three men were dead by the time firefighters got to the scene.
Two of the dead were builders and the two others were people who had been in cars, acoording to Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan.
This is a tragic day in Seattle with this catastrophic incident in the heart of our city. My heart breaks for those who lost loved ones today.
Please avoid the area so that investigators can continue their work. https://t.co/zlI5hYDR9Z
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) April 28, 2019
A 25-year-old mother and her four-month-old daughter, as well as a 28-year-old man, were taken to hospital.
A fourth person also was injured and treated at the scene.
Doctors said that the mother and baby would be discharged, while the man injured was in satisfactory condition.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office said it would not release names of people who died until Monday.
The incident at Fairview Ave N and involved a crane that fell into traffic. 5 cars were crushed. There are a total of 4 fatalities, and 3 injured patients that have been transferred to the hospital. pic.twitter.com/HM3PBZ5Udt
— Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) April 27, 2019
She tweeted: ‘My thoughts and prayers are with those killed and injured.’
The crane collapsed near the junction of Mercer Street and Fairview Avenue shortly before 3.30pm.
Just like Malta, the city has dozens of construction cranes building office towers and flats.
As of January, there were about 60 construction cranes in Seattle, more than any other American city.
Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said officials did not yet know the cause of the collapse.
Update: the incident at Fairview Ave N and Mercer street has an 8th patient that was treated on-scene and not transported. This was the 6th car with damage from the fallen crane.
— Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) April 28, 2019
Washington state governor Jay Inslee said in a statement: ‘Trudi and I join all Washingtonians in extending our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the four people who died in this afternoon’s tragic accident.’
The office building the crane fell from was badly damaged, with several of its windows smashed.
