A tower crane overturned yesterday on a housing project in Kula, Manisa province, east of Izmir in western Turkey, killing the operator, Mert Bayat, 20.
Bayat was said to be relatively inexperienced and had apparently been working as a skilled labour on the site until less than six months ago when he was asked to operate the crane, a large flat top manufactured locally by Pi Makina.
Video footage shows the crane swaying in the seconds or so before it went over, it looks as though it may have been buffeted by wind gusts, but none of the reports from the rescue authorities mentions the presence of windy conditions. The crane went over backwards from its counterweighted cruciform base, no one else was hurt in the incident.
Bayat was seriously injured and left trapped in the tower after the crane landed, the fire crews used a ladder platform to bring him down and he was immediately rushed to hospital, but sadly died not long after his arrival.
An investigation has been launched into the incident although some representatives of local organisations are already claiming that it is another example of cutting costs and using inexperienced operators.
The video below is poor but does show the crane as it went over.
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