Crane collapses in New York, weather may have played a role

Friday, February 5, 2016, 3:44 PM - At least one person is dead and others are seriously injured after a construction crane collapsed near Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, NY, Friday.

The crane toppled over a row of parked cars at the intersection of Worth St. and Church St., according to reports.

Civil engineer Jesse Natale was at the intersection when the crane came crashing down.

"If I caught (the traffic) light, I'd be dead probably," Natale told Daily News. "It looked like an avalanche - or that the roof was caving in from the snow."

The crane, called a "crawler," was being lowered because of the wind, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, according to the CBC.

At the time of the incident, winds were blowing at 32 kilometres an hour and the crane's manufacturer recommends securing it when winds approach 40 kilometres an hour. After the collapse, the city ordered all cranes be shut down and secured due to the wind, Reuters reports.

At nearby LaGuardia Airport, gusts around 48 km/h were reported Friday morning.

Portions of Long Island and southern New England will see the potential for heavy snowfall Friday, with accumulations of 10 to 20 cm possible, according to the National Weather Service.

This system may make for some treacherous driving conditions as roads may become snow covered and slippery. After the snow tapers off Friday afternoon, temperatures are set to rebound, bumping above the freezing mark in many areas.

SOURCE: NY Daily News | CBC

Watch more: Crane collapses in New York, ground scene of the accident