July 10 (UPI) — Police said a service crane at the top of a downtown Toronto building fell onto the roof, causing structural damage to the condo building, but no reported injuries.
The Toronto Police Service said the service crane, which is about 15 to 18 feet tall, tipped over atop 8 The Esplanade in the city’s downtown shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday and fell a distance of about 20 feet to the building’s roof.
Toronto Fire Services officials said the crane caused significant structural damage to the roof, but none of the apartments in the building were affected because the top floors of the tower are used for maintenance purposes.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
“The crane collapsed, causing some structural damage on the roof, but no danger to any of the floors below. It didn’t get into any of the apartment units,” Toronto Fire Services Platoon Chief Kevin Shaw told CBC News. “There were no injuries. People responsible for the crane are getting equipment and staff to secure the crane so they can dismantle it.”
Shaw said the crane apparently toppled over when its counterweights, totaling approximately 20,000 pounds, shifted.
Emergency crews evacuated some nearby buildings while workers assessed the damage and structural integrity of the building. Police closed the surrounding roads after the collapse, but they were reopened a few hours later.