Three people were killed in Taipei, Taiwan, when a large metal scaffolding collapsed during rush hour. Emergency crews believe that unstable conditions on the scaffolding caused the collapse, which occurred on Friday morning.
Workers had been removing metal trusses on top of the building, a 55-story skyscraper near Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building. According to local news reports, the trusses that came down had been attached with cables and the emulsions they were exposed to had grown to a point where they could not support the weight they were encased in. The trusses collapsed from underneath and the scaffolding crashed into the sidewalk below. The Times reported that authorities are now trying to determine the exact cause of the collapse, but speculated that the health and safety precautions had been lax, and the cables on the trusses had long since become twisted.
Cellphone video footage captured the aftermath of the collapse, showing a crowd gathered at the site of the toppled scaffolding. At one point, at least two people are seen tossing a baby through a window pane as the scaffolding hits the roadway below.
We are engaged in an investigation into the cause of the scaffolding collapse pic.twitter.com/5VssLExt7w — TAIWAN POLICE (@Police_Taiwan) February 10, 2017
Read the full story at The New York Times.
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