Crime & Public Safety
Two cranes collapse onto Fort Lauderdale home during removal attempt, no injuries reported
Broward County, Florida — Two cranes toppled onto a home in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, with the second falling while crews were attempting to remove the first, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said.
The initial overturning occurred around 9:15 a.m. in the Southeast 8th Street; fire rescue footage showed a crane leaning on the house with its truck partially suspended. Hours after the first crane and truck fell onto the house, a second crane — brought in to lift the first crane off the structure — also collapsed onto the same residence.
It was not immediately clear what caused either crane to fall. Video and aerial coverage documented damage to a portion of the roof and back wall of the home, which a friend of the homeowner said was under construction.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue reported that no one was injured in the initial incident. After the second crane fell, a Hazmat team responded to address a diesel fuel leak, and city fire and building inspectors were summoned to evaluate the structure for additional hazards.
Cooper Crane, the company that owns the crane, issued a statement saying it was cooperating with the property owner, authorities, and its insurer and that the incident was under review. At this time, officials have not released determinations about cause or responsibility.
The documented agency actions consist of on-scene fire rescue response, Hazmat mitigation for a fuel leak, and building and fire inspections to assess structural safety and hazards.
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