[VIDEO] Crane Flips While Lifting Large Section of Viaduct

via Youtube

via Youtube

Cranes collapse for a variety of different reasons.  Some are overloaded, some catch on fire, and others succumb to high wind loads.  Regardless of the reason, a falling crane can cause tons of damage and have the potential to kill on-site workers and pedestrians walking near the job site.

A recent crawler crane collapse in Northern Italy could have been much worse as the crane, carrying a large section of viaduct, crashed to the ground.  Workers on both sides of the crane began to run as you could hear several others screaming as the crane began to tip.  According to Vertikal, no injuries were reported.  That includes the operator, who they report was able to jump from the crane before it collapsed.

There are two videos of the incident below.  The first, by Storyful News, starts as the crane begins to fall.  The second, by Mi Li, shows a full minute prior to the collapse.  At the 1:20 mark of the second video, you can actually see someone narrowly escaping from just underneath the crane, which some are assuming was the operator. 

Shout out to Alex Barthet from The Lien Zone for sending this video our way.

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