The 20-metre crane that collapsed in Bow, London, killing one person and injuring four was a “tried and tested” crane “reliable in operation worldwide”, according to supplier Wolffkran
Wolffkran confirmed the crane was fully erected on the 22-metre tower in Bow the day before the incident.
One woman inside a residential address, believed to be aged in her 80s, died at the scene.
Four other people were injured, two of which are Wolffkran employees. One worker remains in hospital in critical condition.
A number of other people are also believed to have suffered non life-threatening injuries.
In a statement, crane owner Wolffkran Ltd, said: “The Wolffkran management and staff are deeply upset by this tragedy and express their deepest sympathy to the family of the woman that died in the incident.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected, our own staff, and their families, and we thank the rescue teams for their work on site. Employees of Wolffkran Ltd have been on site since yesterday supporting the responsible authorities in their investigations and preparations to remove the crane from the site.
“The affected crane is a Wolff luffing jib crane of type Wolff 355 B, which is one of Wolffkran’s most tried and tested cranes, reliable in operation worldwide, and currently in operation on 18 sites across the UK.
“The crane on the construction site in Bow was only 10 years old and was fully erected on a 22 metre tower the day before the incident.
“Wolffkran Ltd is a subsidiary of the globally active crane manufacturer Wolffkran. It has been providing tower crane services to the UK construction industry for 45 years. It operates out of Sheffield and employs some 306 people.”
A joint investigation is underway involving officers from the Met’s Central East Command Unit and Specialist Crime, the Health and Safety Executive, and the London Fire Brigade.
Construction Safety Campaign and Trade Unionists hold a silent vigil In Bow ,East London on the crane disaster that happend yesterday. An 85 year old woman lost her life as a tower crane smashed through her roof……this is not the first crane disaster to happen pic.twitter.com/f0itGsjBRE
— LondonHazards (@LondonHazards) July 9, 2020
