Crane collapse in Houston, Texas, kills 4, injures 7

Sunday, July 20, 2008

A crane collapsed Friday in Houston, Texas killing 4 people and injuring 7 more. The crane, which stood 30-stories-tall, fell down at the LyondellBasell oil refinery in Houston, Texas. The crane could lift up to 1 million pounds.

“This is a traumatic experience for all of us. We have to focus on the safety and health of our employees,” said Jim Roecker of LyondellBasell.

The company has about 3,000 employees at the oil refinery and another 1,500 contract workers.

Margaret Landry, a spokesperson for Deep South Crane & Riggen, which built, owned and operated the crane, said: “It is a family-owned business, and we are grieving right now with our employees and families going through this tragedy. We’re just getting through it.”

Occupational Safety and Health Administration began its onsite investigation on Saturday.