Seattle Crane Working On New Google Campus Crushes Cars, Kills 4

Neetu Chandakon

A crane collapsed, crushed six cars and killed four people at Seattle’s Google campus construction site Saturday afternoon.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to release names of those who died Monday, The Associated Press reported. Among those pronounced dead were two people in separate cars and two iron workers.

Four people were also injured. One person was treated at the scene while three others were taken to a medical center for injuries that were not life-threatening. A mother and her 4-month-old baby were discharged Saturday, according to the AP.

Esther Nelson, a biotech research assistant, said she saw the crane fall and said it likely dropped about eight to nine stories, the Seattle Times reported.

“Half of it was flying down sideways on the building,” Nelson said, according to the Seattle Times. “The other half fell down on the street, crossing both lanes of traffic.”

Corina Berriel, 27, thought she was going to die as the crane hit a vehicle behind her while she was driving, the Times reported.

“The first thing I felt was a jolt from behind,” Berriel said, according to the Times. “It almost felt like an earthquake.”

It is unclear what caused the collapse. The incident occurred as there were showers and wind speed increased to 23 mph, the AP reported.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in South Lake Union,” Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee tweeted Saturday. “My heart goes out to the family and friends of the four people who died in this terrible accident. Please stay clear of the scene and allow medical personnel and investigators to do their work.”

The state Department of Labor and Industries and police are investigating the collapse, which could take months, according to the AP.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families who have lost loved ones and our hope is that those who have been injured return to full health as soon as possible,” Vulcan, the real estate firm in charge of the construction site, said in a statement Saturday.

The Google campus construction began in 2017 and is estimated to finish in 2019, the Times reported.

“We share our deepest condolences with those who’ve been affected and thank all the first responders who quickly sprang into action,” a Google spokesperson told The Daily Caller News Foundation over email Sunday. “We are in communication with Vulcan who is managing the site and working with the local authorities on the ground.”

Seattle had the most construction cranes than any other American city, with 60 cranes since January. Cranes have been abundant as tech companies increase their employment in the city, according to the AP.

Vulcan did not immediately respond to The DCNF’s request for comment.

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