Lauderhill

Crews Work to Remove Crane That Collapsed on Homes in Lauderhill

Two sections of the crane's boom were removed early Thursday and workers were using at least two other cranes to remove the rest

A day after a massive crane toppled onto two houses in a Lauderhill neighborhood injuring two people, crews were working to safely remove it as several neighbors remained without water.

Two sections of the crane's boom were removed early Thursday and workers were using at least two other cranes to remove the rest after the crane fell on the homes Wednesday.

"The main part of the boom is still sitting in the roof of the house," Lauderhill Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Jeff Levy told reporters Thursday.

Fire rescue officials are worried about the structural integrity of one home that suffered significant damage to the roof when the crane fell. A second home appears to have suffered less damage.

"It's a slow tedious process, they want to make sure that it's safe," Levy said. "It's a heavy piece of equipment, there's a lot of houses, a lot of dynamics, so it's not a quick process."

The crane was being used by a crew hired by Florida Power & Light to install power poles when it came crashing down. OSHA is investigating the cause of the collapse.

A man who was inside one of the homes was injured and taken to a local hospital, and the crane's operator was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

The collapse knocked out power for some in the area but FPL officials said it has been restored to every home except the two that were affected. The six people who live in one home are being put up in a hotel that's being paid for by the crane company, Sims, while the family from the other home is staying with nearby relatives.

A water main at the scene of the collapse was also broken, and a boil water notice was in effect for houses in the area. About 60 homes had been without water Thursday morning but water was restored to all but 11 homes by the afternoon.

"My husband and I had to get up at three this morning to leave after not being able to go to sleep until probably twelve cause the power went out in the middle of the night as well," resident Brandie Bricketts said. "They said something about the ground being soft, but I would think that’s something you would test before you bring a crane in."

It's unknown how long it will take to remove the remaining sections of crane.

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