Repost from Shanghaiist: Huge construction crane collapses in downtown Shanghai

A crane in use at the Boss & Winner construction site buckled this afternoon in Shanghai.

The crane is currently hanging across the top of the roof of the constructed building, and doesn't appear to have been secured in any way. There was no one visible on the construction site when we were there earlier this evening.

It is unknown if there were any fatalities or injuries. There were no ambulances at the scene when we arrived.

The greater part of the section of Jiangsu Road between Yuyuan Road and Yan'an Expressway was closed to pedestrians and traffic. Police and firefighters are on the scene. Also, there appears to be a number of rescue vehicles including another crane setting up on the closed portion of Jiangsu Road opposite the Agricultural Bank of China branch.

Traffic to Jiangsu Road from Changning Road was diverted through local side streets, which also included reversing one-way traffic on Zhenning Road. There were plenty of gawkers. Traffic is still pants around this area. Avoid it if possible.

UPDATE: Shanghai Daily is on the story — and they say the collapse happened in the morning:

Tower crane collapse halts traffic in downtown By Chen Yiqin 2007-3-28

THE arm of a tower crane fell from the top of a 28-floor building and is stuck dangling off the side of the building, disrupting morning traffic in Shanghai's downtown Changning District.

The steel wire on the crane's arm snapped around 10am, and the arm crashed into an elevator pillar on the site. The arm was hanging 90 meters above the ground.

The police have cordoned off the area along Jiangsu Road, the section from Yuyuan Road to Xuanhua Road.

Another crane, with a 10-ton lifting capacity, has been sent to the site to remove the broken tower arm. The police said the crane should be fixed later this evening.

No injuries have been reported, but traffic in the area is still backed up.

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