Reports: 4 hurt after crane collapses in Miami neighborhood

MIAMI, Fla. - An 85-foot (26-meter) crane collapsed onto a street in Miami's Brickell neighborhood Monday morning, crushing vehicles, igniting a fire and injuring four people, according to FOX affiliate WSVN-TV.

Emergency crews rescued two trapped construction workers, while the crane operator and the driver of a passing vehicle also suffered minor injuries. Investigators are now working to determine what caused the crane to topple.

4 hospitalized with minor injuries

What we know:

According to WSVN, emergency crews responded to Miami's Brickell neighborhood around 8:30 a.m. for reports of a crane collapse.

At least four people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to WSVN's reporting, and at least three vehicles were damaged. Authorities said the crane struck a passing vehicle, which caught fire, and crushed two parked cars that were unoccupied.

Miami Fire Rescue said the woman driving the vehicle saw the crane beginning to fall, reversed her car and escaped before flames engulfed it. The crane also landed on a construction storage container, trapping two workers inside.

Rescue crews extinguished the fire while technical rescue teams cut into the container and freed the workers. The crane operator jumped from the equipment as it tipped over. All four injured people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.

Photos and videos from the scene showed a large crane toppled over within a construction site, part the crane across a nearby street, and what appeared to be several vehicles crushed beneath it.

Officials said the equipment involved was a piling rig, which uses the same base as a traditional crane but is designed to drive large columns deep into the ground to support buildings and other large structures.

The collapse occurred in Brickell, a densely developed neighborhood where high-rise construction projects are common, making construction safety a critical concern for workers and nearby motorists.

What we don't know:

Officials have not determined what caused the crane, identified as a piling rig, to collapse. Authorities have not released the identities of the four injured people or said whether any structural or mechanical failures contributed to the incident.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Miami-Dade County Unsafe Structures personnel are investigating.

What they're saying:

Miami Fire Chief Robert Hevia said the outcome could have been far worse.

"I've been on the fire department for 28 years; when you see the scene, it's impressive. The fact that we had four victims, and they were all able to be extricated or self-extricate themselves with minor injuries is a remarkable day for them."

Hevia also praised the driver of the vehicle struck by the crane.

"To be able to see the crane falling, pull the car in reverse and pop out of the back while the car's on fire, really incredible."

He said firefighters faced multiple emergencies at once while responding to the collapse.

"It was a very complex scene with a fire that was occurring; our crews were putting out the fire and our technical rescue team working simultaneously to cut through the conex box, the construction box, and they were able to successfully extricate the two victims."

FOX 35 has reached out to the City of Miami's fire department and police department for additional information.