Kobe, Japan— An industrial crane operator suffered severe injuries after a crane breakdown trapped him at a construction site in Kobe on October 22, 2026.
The accident happened at 10:20 a.m. at a high-rise apartment construction site in Chuo Ward. The tower crane was lifting a bundle of rebar to the 12th floor when a hydraulic line burst. The boom dropped several meters and twisted, jamming the operator cabin at an angle against the mast. The operator could not get out.
Workers on the ground heard a loud bang and saw the boom lurch. The load swung and fell to a safety net, narrowly missing crews below. Dust and hydraulic oil sprayed. Alarms sounded. The site was evacuated except for rescue teams.
Kobe fire brigade’s rescue squad arrived with a high-angle team. They found the operator, a 38-year-old man, pinned by the cabin frame, conscious but with severe injuries to legs and chest. The cabin was 30 meters up and unstable. Every movement risked further collapse.
“We had to secure the boom with cables before we could touch the cabin. The operator was in a lot of pain and losing blood,” said a Kobe fire rescue officer. The operation took 70 minutes. Rescuers cut part of the cabin door and lowered the man on a stretcher by crane basket.
He was taken to Kobe City Medical Center with fractures to both legs, rib fractures and internal bleeding. Doctors said he is serious but stable after surgery. No other workers were injured. The site employs about 60 people.
The general contractor has halted work at the site. Safety inspectors have seized maintenance logs, hydraulic pressure records and the crane’s inspection certificate, which was issued in July. Preliminary focus is on a failed hose coupling and possible overloading beyond the chart.
Kobe has tightened crane inspections after a similar breakdown last year in Osaka. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been notified. The company said it will cooperate fully and review all its cranes.
The crane remains locked in place, cordoned off. The site will stay closed until structural engineers clear it. The investigation continues.
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