Construction Crane Topples In Shinjuku, Two Workers Dead, Site Shut Down For Investigation

Tokyo, Japan— A tower crane at a high-rise construction site in Shinjuku collapsed at 10:18 a.m. Tuesday, killing two workers on the structure and sending its jib crashing onto parked vehicles below.

The crane, a 70-meter luffing jib model, was lifting rebar to the 18th floor when its base bolts failed. The mast buckled, then fell sideways across the site boundary. Two workers in the crane’s basket were thrown and pronounced dead at the scene.

Three cars and a delivery van parked on the adjacent street were crushed. No pedestrians were hit. Office workers in surrounding buildings reported a loud metallic groan, then a cloud of dust. The site was evacuated within minutes.

"We heard a screech, then the arm fell. Concrete dust covered everything. People ran," said Yuki Tanaka, who works in a convenience store across from the site and filmed the aftermath.

Tokyo Fire Department deployed heavy rescue teams and a second crane to stabilize the wreckage. Labor Standards Inspection officers sealed the site and seized maintenance logs, wind speed records, and load charts.

"The crane passed inspection in August. Today winds were within limits. We are looking at anchorage and overloading," a labor inspector said at a press conference. He declined to name the contractor pending formal notification.

The general contractor, a major Tokyo builder, issued an apology and said it would cooperate. The company said the crane operator, who survived with minor injuries, had 12 years experience and had completed a safety check that morning.

Japan’s construction death toll has fallen in recent years but crane accidents remain a leading cause. The Ministry of Land requires third-party inspections every year and daily checks by operators.

Families of the victims were notified by the company. The project, a 24-story office tower, will remain shut for at least two weeks while investigators test steel samples and bolt torque.

Prosecutors may open a case for professional negligence causing death once technical findings are delivered.