Crane crashes down on cars A woman seated behind the steering wheel of a car parked in front of the Walvis Bay municipality had a narrow escape when a crane capsized and its boom crashed onto the roof of her car. The woman was treated for shock by paramedics and rushed to hospital for observation. The crane operator also escaped without any injuries.
The crane, which belongs to Walvis Bay Tool and Plant Hire, crushed three cars in the municipal parking lot. The other two were unoccupied.
An official at the scene ascribed the probable cause of the accident to a burst underground water pipe.
“This was definitely not due to human error and nobody could have predicted it would happen. It appears that the underground pipe could not manage the weight of the crane and collapsed due to the pressure. This resulted in one of the crane’s outriggers buckling and the crane capsizing. This is the first incident of such a nature which occurred in Walvis Bay.”
The crane was used to remove a tent erected for VIPs at the Heroes’ Day celebrations last Friday.
OTIS FINCK