Partial crane collapse at Atlanta construction site injures 4, police say

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ATLANTA (AP) — Four people were injured Monday when a crane partially collapsed at a construction site in Atlanta on Monday, police said.

Police and firefighters rushed to the site in the city's Midtown area. The four people who were hurt were taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, Atlanta police said.

Atlanta Fire Captain Michael Roman said firefighters worked to make sure everyone on the construction crew was accounted for, Fox 5 reported. In addition to the four injured, seven other people had to be rescued from the site, the TV station reported.

“There are two wrecked cranes on site, and the one that is next to the building is the one that is unstable at this time,” Roman said.

The scene needs to be secured, he said.

“Right now, we determined there is a collapse danger to the cranes, being that it’s unstable,” Roman said. “We got engineers on site, crane experts on site, and we’re just trying to get more information from them, for the next, essentially, 12 hours.”

There was no load on the crane at the time of the accident, but a counterweight fell onto the building under construction, he said. That has left at least two floors compromised and in danger of possible collapse, Roman said.

Nearby streets were blocked off, and people were being urged to avoid the area.