Two cranes have fallen onto a row of buildings in a western Dutch city, injuring at least 20 people, according to Dutch media.
The machines were being used to restore a bridge in Alphen aan den Rijn when they tipped over, crushing apartments and small shops beneath them.
Ton Koot, a spokesman for the local fire brigade in Alphen aan den Rijn, told Dutch broadcaster NOS that heavy machinery is being transported to the scene in order to search for anyone trapped in the wreckage, the Associated Press reported.
Koot said he did not know how seriously injured the victims were.
NOS reported that 20 people were injured, many of them seriously.
Images from the scene show an enormous metal pillar after it smashed into a building, and people standing behind tape cordoning off the area.
Part of one of the two cranes that toppled onto houses in Alphen aan den Rijn (Image: Martijn Beekman/AFP)
Two cranes that have fallen onto houses in Alphen aan den Rijn. (Martijn Beekman/AFP/Getty Images)
2 hijskranen met brugdek Kon. Julianabrug omgevallen in Alphen aan den Rijn. Meerdere panden beschadigd @studioalphen pic.twitter.com/QPkbGjczVm
— Mike Mourits (@mikemourits) August 3, 2015
A video shows the cranes moving a piece of decking on the river Rijn, before they crash onto nearby buildings.
Dick van Smirren, who filmed the incident, told NOS: "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."
Local officials are urging people to stay away from the scene to enable rescuers to work on the scene, where sniffer dogs are being used to check for survivors.
The Dutch Safety Board, which investigates serious accidents, said it was sending a team to the scene.
More to follow
