Reports are saying at least 20 people were injured when two huge cranes positioned atop a barge collapsed onto houses in the Dutch town of Alphen aan den Rijn.
The cranes were being used to hoist a large section of bridge across the canal when one of the cranes – and the bridge – collapsed onto houses lining the waterway, causing the second crane to go down with it.
Media reports are saying at least 20 people were injured in the incident, including several with serious injuries.
Video of the incident clearly shows the cranes lifting the section of bridge when the barge begins to list, sending workers scattering, and then the cranes came crashing down. Check out the video below:
Here’s another video taken shortly after the incident showing an incredible amount of damage to the houses. More photos added below.
Dramatic moment homes and shops are demolished when two cranes collapse while moving a section of bridge in Holland
- Two cranes were carrying section of bridge when they toppled onto homes
- Sniffer dogs drafted in to find survivors and man reportedly pulled out alive
- Officials initially feared 20 people were injured but have retracted statement
- Dramatic images show giant cranes crushing homes and shops in Holland
This is the terrifying moment a row of homes and shops were reduced to rubble after two cranes hoisting a large section of bridge collapsed under the weight and toppled over.
One man was reportedly pulled out alive from the debris after the large cranes collapsed onto apartments and shops overlooking a canal in Alphen aan den Rijn, South Holland, this afternoon.
Emergency services initially believed around 20 others were injured in the dramatic incident, but later confirmed no other people were hurt. A dog was, however, found dead at the scene.
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One man was reportedly pulled out alive from the debris after two large cranes carrying a section of bridge collapsed onto apartments and shops overlooking a canal in Alphen aan den Rijn, South Holland, this afternoon
The cranes were hoisting the bridge section into place when they gave way under the weight and hit the houses
Rescuers stayed at the site until 11pm before calling off the search after confirming there we no other victims
Dramatic footage of the incident in Alphen aan den Rijn, South Holland, shows two towering orange cranes carrying a piece of tarmac before it begins to swing out of control. The cranes then collapse onto houses
Dramatic footage of the incident showed the two towering cranes carrying a piece of tarmac before it started to swing out of control.
The cranes then appeared to buckle under the weight of the bridge segment and toppled over onto a nearby row of buildings, slamming through them and sending a cloud of dust into the air.
The section of bridge they had been carrying also landed on the buildings, which were practically flattened by the incident.
Rescue workers with sniffer dogs stayed at the site searching for people trapped underneath the rubble until 11pm, before calling off the search.
Initially, firefighters had said that about 20 people had been wounded, a figure they later retracted.
Ton Koot - a spokesman for the central Holland fire service – said he believed a man had been pulled from the wreckage and had been taken to hospital with hip injuries.
He added: 'Two cranes and the stretch of roadway they were carrying fell on five houses in all.'
The cranes, working from barges, were renovating the Queen Juliana Bridge - a canal bridge dating from the 1950s - when the first crane toppled over.
Unbalanced by the extra load, the second crane then fell.
Dramatic footage of the incident in Alphen aan den Rijn, South Holland, shows two towering orange cranes carrying a piece of tarmac before it begins to swing out of control, and then topples onto the nearby buildings
Two towering orange cranes carrying a piece of bridge began to swing out of control, before the cranes appeared to buckle under the weight of the load - causing the whole lot to topple over onto shops and houses
The cranes and a section of bridge they had been carrying landed on the buildings, many of which were homes
One man was pulled alive from the rubble in Alphen aan den Rijn and rescuers, including sniffer dogs, are due to work deep into the night combing the scene for any other victims who might have been trapped underneath
One man was pulled alive from the rubble amid fears others may be trapped underneath the large cranes
Dutch TV channel NOS said the cranes fell on a second-hand clothing store and another shop selling art and drawing supplies, but it remains unclear how many houses they also hit.
Witness Dick van Smirren, who filmed the incident, said he saw the moment the bridge deck - being carried by the cranes - began to move, before swinging and pulling the cranes onto the houses.
He said: 'You see the cloud of dust rise - that is a terrible image and you think, 'Who is under there?' You can't believe what you see.'
Police urged people to stay away from the scene in the aftermath of the incident, in a bid to allow emergency workers to carry out any potential rescues and make the buildings stable.
Dutch prosecutors have now opened an investigation into the accident and three people have voluntarily presented themselves to a local police station in connection with the probe, Dutch news agency ANP reported.
A security perimeter has been set up around the site, leaving the residents of 51 houses unable to sleep in their homes tonight.
Local authorities were urging people to stay away from the scene to allow rescuers to carry out their work
The Dutch Safety Board, which investigates serious accidents, said it was planning to send a team to the site
The cranes toppled over into the canal water, with the mechanical arm and bridge segment hitting buildings
The two large cranes, working from barges, were renovating the Queen Juliana Bridge - a canal bridge dating from the 1950s - when the first crane toppled over. Unbalanced by the extra load, the second crane then fell
Mayor Spies described it as a 'terrible accident', adding: 'There is a lot of material damage.'
The bridge, over the Old Rhine river, was being renovated after surveys in 2010 had shown that its steel superstructure was in poor condition.
The renovation, which began in the spring, was expected to last the whole summer.
The accident took place as the vast steel ramp that forms the central span of the swing bridge was lowered into place.
The drama was captured in amateur footage shot by a local resident who was following the progress of the bridge works from his balcony.
The Dutch Safety Board, which investigates serious accidents, said it had sent a team to the scene.
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