Two Cranes Collapse In Downtown Miami Amid Strong Winds From Irma

MIAMI (CBSNewYork/AP) — A pair of construction cranes collapsed Sunday in downtown Miami amid strong winds from Hurricane Irma.

The first crane collapsed just before 11 a.m. at a building on Biscayne Boulevard in a bayfront area filled with hotels and high-rise condo and office buildings, near American Airlines Arena, according to a tweet from the City of Miami.

"A tower crane has collapsed on top of a high rise under construction," the tweets said. "AVOID THE AREA!!"

The National Weather Service Miami office also said in a tweet that one of its employees witnessed the "crane boom and counterweight collapse in downtown Miami." The employee captured video of the collapse.

In another tweet, officials urged people in buildings facing the crane to "seek shelter on the opposite side" of the building or in a stairwell.

The second collapse occurred in a large development in Miami, according to a local official. It wasn't immediately clear whether either of the collapses caused damage or injuries.

Emergency personnel were unable to respond because of high winds, Miami-Dade County Director of Communications Mike Hernandez said.

Though Miami is far from Irma's landfall in the Florida Keys, winds from the 400-mile-wide storm were blasting through the metro area. The city was under a tornado watch Sunday.

Two dozen tower cranes working on construction sites throughout the city were a concern ahead of Irma. Moving the massive equipment, weighing up to 30,000 pounds, is a slow process that would have taken about two weeks, according to city officials.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

In:
• Hurricane Irma
• Miami