A large crane collapsed at a construction site in Queens.
Long Island City, N.Y. (MorichesDaily) – A 380-foot crane collapsed Wednesday afternoon inuring seven construction workers at a construction site in Queens.
A construction worker at the site said the cable to the 17-foot boom snapped while it hauled a load around 2:30 p.m.
The incident took place on 46th Ave. and Central Blvd near Long Island City.
Most of the injuries are considered minor, according to FDNY Deputy Chief Mark Ferran.
The injured men were taken to Elmhurst Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
“The worst would probably be a broken bone,” he said.
Photos of the scene shows the large red crane, with its “neck” crashed through the top of the wooden first floor of the site.
The accident happened just behind the iconic Pepsi sign in the Hunters Point neighborhood, south of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.
A captain of a passing tugboat said he heard a loud bang and then saw the boom of the crane crashing down.
Investigators were still looking into what caused the collapse at the site, the future site of a 25-story building.
The site is part of a development known as the “East Coast,” which is located immediately behind the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign along the East River.
The development will include several additional new buildings.
The last building is to be completed in early 2014, Tyler reported, clustering the area with some 2,800 new units.
Noteworthy, the crane’s owner is Jim Lomma, who was indicted on charges related to the 2008 crane collapse on the Upper East Side that killed two people. Lomma was acquitted in April.
His company, New York Crane, has not commented on the incident.
A close-up look at the crane collapse in Long Island City on Jan. 9, 2013. (credit: CBS 2)
