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VIDEO: Austin construction workers run for their lives as massive crane collapses

Austin Fire Dept. says man was trapped under crane

AUSTIN – Nearly a dozen workers escaped with their lives Wednesday morning after a massive crane lifting a large concrete wall collapsed at a construction site in southeast Austin. 

Video of the serious construction incident was posted to Reddit -- a public social news aggregation website -- showing the frightening moments when the crane toppled over on its side.

((EDITOR'S NOTE: THERE'S NO SOUND TO THE VIDEO))

The video shows the construction workers standing underneath the crane as it lifts what appears to be a concrete wall until a wire suddenly snaps.

The snapped wire caused the concrete slab to drop and a worker who was standing on the wall to fall.

As the concrete structure falls, the video shows the crane collapsing while the workers flee the area.

According to the department’s official Twitter page, Austin-Travis County EMS were dispatched just before 9 a.m. to the construction site near the 2300 block of East St. Elmo Road for a reported crane malfunction/accident. 

In a tweet sent out by the Austin Fire Department, fire units were initially told that a person was trapped under the crane but was later set free.

AFD said on its Twitter page, “Fire crews have delineated a collapse hazard zone and are preparing to turn scene over to construction company.”

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According to ATC EMS, only one man was transported to an area hospital with injuries not expected to be life-threatening.

Another man who suffered injuries in the accident refused to be transported to the hospital, according to ATC EMS.

FOR STORY IDEAS, EMAIL: agarcia@ksat.com 


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