On February 1st, a construction accident occurred during the dismantling of a gantry crane at a subway construction site in Wuhan, Hubei province, which resulted in the collapse of the crane onto two passing private cars, causing one fatality and one injury. Many netizens questioned why there was no traffic control at the scene.
Footage from a dashboard camera circulating online shows a white car being struck by one of the supporting legs of the gantry crane while in motion, causing severe damage to the rear end of the vehicle. The following black car also sustained damage to its front end due to the impact.
According to the owner of the black car interviewed by Xinjing News, at around 11:16 a.m. on the 1st, he was driving along Houhu Avenue towards Jinqiao Avenue when the gantry crane suddenly collapsed at a subway construction site, brushing past the front of his car and causing significant damage. After getting out of the car, he learned that the construction site was in the process of dismantling subway construction equipment, and “the ‘legs’ of the two gantry crane steel frames fell down.” Firefighters and emergency medical vehicles arrived at the scene and rescued an injured person from the white car.
Another eyewitness told Dafeng News that the construction at the site was in its final stages, and on that morning, the first gantry crane was being dismantled. They expressed confusion about how such a heavy and large object could be hoisted while allowing traffic to pass underneath.
In the afternoon, the Wuhan Emergency Management Bureau reported that at around 11:16 a.m. on February 1st, during the dismantling of a gantry crane at the construction site of the Wuhan Rail Transit Line 12 connecting line Xinchun Station, one of the gantry crane’s supporting legs collapsed, resulting in damage to two passing vehicles outside the construction site and causing “1 fatality, 1 injury.” However, the report did not address the issue of traffic control, only indicating that the cause of the accident was under investigation.