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The collapse occurred shortly after 8 a.m. in the city’s
Brickell neighborhood. Miami Fire Chief Robert Hevia said at a
news conference Monday that he was thankful no one was killed in
the crane collapse and car fire.
“I’ve been on the fire department for 28 years; when you see the
scene, it’s impressive," Hevia said. “The fact that we had four
victims, and they were all able to be extricated or
self-extricate themselves with minor injuries is a remarkable
day for them.”
A woman driving on a street next to the construction site saw
the crane begin to fall over, Hevia said.
“To be able to see the crane falling, pull the car in reverse
and pop out of the back while the car’s on fire, really
incredible,” he said, adding that the crane also crushed two
unoccupied parked cars but fell on a storage container with two
construction workers inside.
The two workers who had been trapped, along with the crane
operator who managed to jump out as the crane was tipping over,
were all transported to a nearby trauma center with minor
injuries, Hevia said. The woman driving the car also had minor
injuries and was taken to a different hospital. Officials
haven’t identified the injured.
“It was a very complex scene with a fire that was occurring; our
crews were putting out the fire and our technical rescue team
working simultaneously to cut through the conex box, the
construction box, and they were able to successfully extricate
the two victims,” Hevia said, confirming that all other workers
at the construction site were accounted for.
Officials have not said what caused the crane, specifically a
piling rig, to topple, and Hevia said the collapse is under
investigation. A piling rig usually shares the same base as a
traditional crane, but its upper part is designed to drive
columns deep into the ground to support large structures.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Miami-Dade
County Unsafe Structures personnel responded, officials said.
Firefighters remained to monitor and control a fuel spill and
prevent further spread until a specialized mitigation crew
arrived.
—
Fischer reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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