23.04.2021

Fatal crane collapse

The boom of a crawler crane working on a road project in Beaumont, Texas, collapsed onto a passing pickup truck yesterday killing both occupants.

The incident occurred on Interstate 10 when the boom of the American crawler appears to have buckled, with the nose landing on the cab of the truck. The driver, Sarfaraz Karowadia, 37, and his passenger, Altaf Kasowadia, 42, were pronounced dead at the scene.
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The boom on the old crane simply seemed to buckle

Johnson Bros, the contractor issued a statement saying: “In response to the incident which occurred on the construction site located along I-10, involving subcontractor Hemphill Construction, our thoughts and prayers are with all involved in this incident. Johnson Bros, along with TxDOT, is investigating the circumstances behind this incident and has no further comment at this time.”

A statement from the Texas Department of Transport - TxDOT: added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by the tragic event on Thursday. TxDOT will yield to the law enforcement team conducting investigations into the incident to provide any details regarding the scene or specific parties involved. We can confirm that TxDOT has an active contract with Johnson Bros for the I-10 construction project from FM 365 to Walden Rd. No closures are currently scheduled on the project at this time. TxDOT is saddened by this accident and loss of life, and we offer our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of those involved.”

The following video is a local news bulletin which shows the scene of the incident: