Several killed in western Canada as crane collapses, police say

OTTAWA: A crane attached to a high-rise under construction in Kelowna, British Columbia, collapsed on Monday causing multiple fatalities, police said.

Several workers were near the crane when it collapsed, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Adam MacIntosh told reporters in Kelowna, according to a video of the news conference.

He gave no further details about the victims, saying that “not all persons have been properly identified.” One person was unaccounted for, MacIntosh said.

Several adjacent buildings were also damaged and “the area remains unstable and unsafe,” and has been evacuated, MacIntosh said. A structural engineer is studying how to make the area safe again, he said.

On Monday afternoon, B.C. Emergency Health Services said three patients had been taken to hospital with varying injuries.

“At this time, we are not prepared to confirm the number of deceased and injured persons in this matter, but there is at least one fatality as a result of this incident,” Kelowna RCMP Insp. Adam MacIntosh said in a media release.