KELOWNA, BC – The head of a development company building a 25-story residential tower says there were “multiple” deaths after a crane collapsed Monday in Kelowna, BC.
Jonathan Friesen of the mission group said he had no knowledge of what crashed the crane and that the workers who died were sideline jobs to the building.
“They were on our side and lost their lives through their work,” said Friesen at a press conference on Monday.
“Our company priority is of course the safety of all our employees and we want them to go home safe and sound at the end of the day. And that didn’t happen today.”
Friesen said construction will continue after an investigation by WorkSafeBC and that the RCMP will release details of the death toll. The coroner is also investigating.
“Our entire mission team, mission staff, and all of our sub-professions are in a state of shock,” he said, adding that grief counseling is available to anyone who needs it.
The RCMP said it responded to the collapse, which cut power to most of the downtown area, forcing the area to be evacuated.
An email from the RCMP in Kelowna said there had been “multiple casualties,” but police would not confirm any figures or provide further details.
BC Emergency Health Services said it had hospitalized three patients. One person was in critical condition, another was seriously injured, and the third was slightly injured.
Kellie Orsted and her boss, Attorney Chris Fraser, were working in the building next to the construction site when the crane hit their ground floor offices.
“It was like an explosion,” said Orsted. The outside wall behind her desk collapsed and pushed her office chair through part of the room, she said.
Orsted said she ran into Fraser’s office and could only see debris.
Squinting through the heavy dust, Orsted said she saw her boss bowed his head and thought he might be dead.
“Then he moved. I helped him clear the wreckage and we got out of there asap,” she said.
Fraser said when he heard a loud crack he immediately dived under his desk to protect himself.
The wall and part of the roof above him collapsed, he said.
“It was hard to see, there was so much dust,” he said.
Labor Secretary Harry Bains issued a statement saying he was “deeply saddened to hear of this terrible incident”.
“All workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace – even an injury or death is too much. This is a heartbreaking reminder that we must strive to keep all workers safe to prevent such incidents. “
A residential tower was built with the crane. The top of the crane tipped over, leaving most of the crane’s support tower in place.
The city of Kelowna declared a local emergency on Monday. In a press release, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Center said the construction site and the surrounding area remained unstable and unsafe.
– With files from Alistair Waters in Kelowna, BC
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 12, 2021.
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