A four axle All Terrain crane rolled down a hill side in Montenegro, Southern Brazil earlier this month, when the road gave way following heavy rain.
The crane a 100 tonne Liebherr from the Irigaray rental fleet was travelling up the Morro São João hill/mountain on the first of August, in order to install a weather radar at the top.
The indefinite closure of the preferred route to the top meant that the crane had to travel up the narrow winding Claudio Kranz Road – which is little more than a mountain track. The crane had almost reached the summit, when the side of the road gave way, causing it to roll down the hillside. The area had apparently seen heavy rains in the week before which are thought to have weakened the road verge.
The crane making its way up the road
The operator - who was alone in his cab– went with the crane, as it completed at least three complete roll overs, carving a path through the dense vegetation before coming to rest. Reports suggest that the operator was able to jump clear of the crane as it lost momentum. He was rescued by the Civil Defence and Military fire department and taken to hospital, where his injuries included a broken arm and heavy bruising.
And begins to roll
Apparently he risked taking the challenging Claudio Kranz secondary road, as there was a tight deadline for the lift, and the preferred route, the Apolinário de Moraes street, was closed with no information on when it might re open. Although three truck loads of equipment from the crane company were reportedly waiting for the main road to open?
disappearing over the edge
Brazilian weather forecasting company, Climatempo was contracted by the state to install a weather tower in order to provide more precise predictions on rain fall in order to help provide early warnings of potential flooding in the area. Access to the site remains closed off due to the risks of further incident and until the overturned vehicle can be recovered.
and comes to rest on its side
The Morro São João is located north west of Porte Alegre in southern Brazil, the crane rental company Irigaray Guindastes e Transportes is based in Porte Alegre.
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