Crane collapses onto downtown Toronto building
4 buildings evacuated near Wellington St. and University Ave., Toronto Fire says
Fire crews are trying to secure a construction crane that collapsed onto a building near Wellington and Simcoe streets just before 10 a.m. Thursday morning, prompting the evacuation of four downtown buildings.
"Crews have secured the section of the crane that is on the building. We are now working on securing the remainder of the crane," said Fire Chief Matthew Pegg on Twitter, just before noon.
A mobile crane is on scene, Pegg said, and engineers estimate it could take more than 12 hours to deal with the issue.
Fire crews don't know why the crane collapsed, Pegg told reporters, noting it is more than 200 feet in the air.
Crews are watching the weather as they try to prevent further problems, he said.
<a href="https://twitter.com/Toronto_Fire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Toronto_Fire</a> crews are working on securing the broken sections of the tower crane and taking precautions in the event that the crane collapses further. Buildings evacuated and the area is closed. No reported injuries on scene. Operations ongoing. <a href="https://twitter.com/TorontoMedics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TorontoMedics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TPSOperations?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPSOperations</a> <a href="https://t.co/8FOBbZcFGt">pic.twitter.com/8FOBbZcFGt</a>
—@ChiefPeggTFSNo injuries reported
The crane operator is not injured, Pegg said, and "made her way down [the crane] with the assistance of one of her colleagues."
Police said the crane operator had minor injuries, but nobody else was hurt.
Four buildings have been evacuated: 40 University Ave., 145 Wellington Street West, and 144 and 146 Front Street West, said Pegg.
Nearby roads are closed and drivers can expect delays.
