Crane collapses and crashes into building site in Edinburgh

2023-11-28 23

Locals were preparing for work when they felt the ground 'shake' this morning (Tues) - as a crane crashed into a building site.

A person is in hospital following the incident in Leith, Edinburgh, and a cordon remains in place.

Michael Lakomy, 33, lives nearby and says he was getting ready for his brewery job when he felt the "vibration".

He said: "I was in my living room getting ready to leave for the day.

"I heard a very elongated sound, like a lorry offloading heavy material.

"But it just kept going and kept going.

"I could tell something was not right, and then I heard the smash. The ground was shaking and I felt the vibration.

"All the workers were running around about checking if everyone was okay.

"The atmosphere afterwards was quite serious but not frantic.

"I didn't see any stretchers - it was precautionary, like they were clearing the scene.

"[When I left for work] the crane was still resting on the roof. The crane looked bent from the pressure of something."

Police Scotland said: "Emergencies [sic] services are in attendance at Steads Place in Edinburgh after a crane collapsed at a building site.

"There are road closures in place at Leith Walk and Pilrig Street. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area."

The Scottish Ambulance Service told MailOnline: 'We received a call at 0929 hours today to attend an incident in Leith, Edinburgh.

'We dispatched two ambulances and our special operations team (SORT) to the scene and transported one patient to New Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.'