Florida Construction News staff writer
Four people were hospitalized with minor injuries Monday after an 85-foot piling rig collapsed at a construction site in Miami’s Brickell area, striking three vehicles and a construction container.
Miami Fire-Rescue responded shortly after 8 a.m. to the area of Southeast 12th Street and Brickell Bay Drive.
Two construction workers trapped inside a crushed construction box.“When you look at the site it’s incredible,” Miami Fire Chief Robert Hevia said at a press conference at the scene. “To have a car on fire, a crane collapse and the construction box is heavily damaged.
“The fact that we were able to cut them out with minor injuries is remarkable.”
A woman was also injured, but narrowly escaped from her car after the massive piece of equipment began to fall. She was able to put the car into reverse and the equipment struck the front of her BMW. The vehicle caught fire, but the woman was able to get out safely.
“We’ve been in contact with her and really told her ‘Count your blessings. God was watching over you today,” Hevia said. “To be able to see the crane falling, pull the car in reverse and pop out the back while the car’s on fire . . . really incredible.”
Rescue workers deployed their Technical Rescue Team to free the construction workers. Crews had to cut through the damaged container to reach the two people trapped inside.
The woman, two trapped workers, a 27-year-old and a 29-year-old and the 47-year-old rig operator who jumped from the equipment as it collapsed were transported to hospital.
All four patients had minor injuries.
The collapse triggered a complex emergency response, with firefighters simultaneously dealing with the trapped workers, the vehicle fire and a fuel spill from the construction equipment.
About 50 firefighters responded, and all 18 workers at the construction site were accounted for.
The incident happened at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive, the site of the planned Citadel headquarters, a development that includes a 58-storey tower.
The cause of the collapse has not been determined. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident, along with local authorities.
The developer, Related Companies, said it is cooperating with authorities as they investigate what happened and work to secure the site.
The incident highlights the risks associated with large foundation and piling operations in a dense urban construction environment. The investigation will determine what caused the rig to collapse and whether any equipment, operational or site conditions contributed to the incident.
