Dammam, Saudi Arabia— A fatal construction crane incident left two workers dead Wednesday morning after a tower crane collapsed at a high-rise building site in the industrial area.
Al Arabiya English reported the collapse occurred at 10:15 a.m. on King Fahd Road. The crane was lifting rebar to the 12th floor of a commercial tower under construction. The jib snapped. The load fell. The mast then buckled.
Two workers on the 10th floor were struck by falling steel. One, 29, died instantly. The second, 41, was trapped under debris and died before rescue teams could reach him. Three other workers suffered minor injuries while fleeing.
Civil Defense and Red Crescent crews arrived within 15 minutes. They cordoned a 200-meter zone. Cranes and cutting equipment were brought to stabilize the collapsed mast. Recovery took two hours due to hanging steel.
Colonel Saad Al-Dosari said initial inspection showed the crane had exceeded its load limit. He said wind was moderate and not a factor. He said maintenance records will be reviewed. He said the site lacked a secondary safety line.
The contractor, a Saudi-Egyptian firm, said the crane passed inspection in June. The company said the operator, who survived with shock, has 12 years of experience. The company suspended work on all its Dammam sites for 48 hours.
Labor inspectors from the Ministry of Human Resources arrived Wednesday afternoon. They seized load charts, operator logs, and safety certificates. The site has two prior warnings for overloading in 2025.
The victims were Egyptian and Pakistani nationals. Their consulates were notified. Families will receive compensation under labor law. The bodies were taken to Dammam Central Hospital for autopsy.
Prosecutors opened a case for negligent causing of death and safety violations. The crane remains locked in place for forensic engineering analysis. The investigation continues.
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
