Around 20 people were injured Wednesday morning after two cranes experienced an entanglement at a construction site in Texas.
Austin-Travis County EMS Captain Darren Noak described the scene earlier today, per CNN, as a "crane vs. crane" incident where one collided with another, causing their wires to become entangled. "This just happened to be two cranes working, we’re not sure how or why, but they did get entangled,” Austin Fire Department Battalion Chief Mark Bridge said at a news briefing. "Since they are attached at the top, we don’t want the wind to cause further problems."
Despite responding to an initial call of a structural collapse, Bridge offered a clarification, saying both cranes remain "stable at the bases" with "two wires connected." According to KXAN, Bridge said one of the crane operators stayed inside the cabin for more than an hour after the incident to keep his foot on the brake to prevent the cranes from collapsing. "He's not in any danger," he added. Emergency officials believe the cranes aren't in danger of falling over.
Noak told reporters that of the 22 injured, 16 were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Three refused treatment while the remaining three were considered "no patients," which are people who were involved in the incident but weren't hurt. The incident occurred at the site of what will become an eight-level garage for a nearby office building, in addition to a new children's hospital.
