Multiple people dead following Kelowna, B.C., crane collapse

There have been "multiple confirmed fatalities" ina crane collapse at a construction site in downtown Kelowna, B.C., according to police.

The development company saidthere was a "catastrophic failure" Monday morning when a crane collapsed at one of its work sites, falling into the officebuilding next dooras well asa seniors' home.

Mission Group said the collapse happened at about 10:45 a.m. PT at the downtown Brooklyn building on Bernard Street.

Emergency responders were called to the site and the building was evacuated.

RCMPinitially said there had been"at least one fatality," but later confirmed"multiple" people had been killed.

"Fire, ambulance and RCMP converged quickly, however, there are multiple confirmed fatalities,"Kelowna RCMP Insp. Adam MacIntoshsaid during a news conference Monday afternoon.

MacIntosh said atleast one person is missing.

On Monday afternoon, B.C. Emergency Health Services saidthree patients had beentaken to hospital with varying injuries.

According to Mission Group, the people who died were subcontractors and not employees of the company.

"It doesn't matter whose employees they were. They were on our site and as a result of their work they did lose their lives," said CEO Jonathan Friesen.

The BC Coroners Service and WorkSafeBC are conducting their owninvestigations into the incident.

"Mission Group expresses its deepest sympathy for the families of those affected by this tragedy.We have set up support services to help those in need," a spokesperson for the development companysaid in a statement.

Police set up a four-block perimeter andevacuated the area around St. Paul Street, Doyle Avenue, Bertram Streetand Bernard Avenue,asking residents and driversto stay away.

Police saidthe area wouldbe cordoned off until the investigation is complete.

Aircraft, including drones, have been banned fromthe area.

"All workers have the right to a safe and healthy workplace even one injury or death is too many," Harry Bains, the province's minister of labour, said in a written statement.

"This is a heartbreaking reminder that we must strive to ensure the safety of all workers to prevent incidents like this from happening."

Bains saidmore information will become available as the investigation continues.

Collapse disrupted power

Police saidpower was disrupted to much of the downtown core.Traffic was being rerouted away from the area.

KelownaresidentKrista Roessing was driving by the construction site when the crane came down.

"It looked like the crane was moving but then I realized that it wasn't moving in a fashion where it was operating, it was coming down," she said.

She called 911 as people came from all directions to help. Roessing said construction workers started asking people to back away from the area and emergency crews arrived within minutes.

"It's shocking," she said. "It's pretty hard to process."

AnnaJacyszyn, who works at a clothing storenearby, was looking out the window when she saw a "huge puff of dust" at the construction site.

Moments later, emergency services started to arrive.

"I was literally just praying and crying, because the emotions you get when you know that someone could be hurtis pretty drastic," she said.

Her husband works in construction, at another site, and she said it made the collapse feel more personal.

Local state of emergency

An evacuation order has been issued for several addresses in the area and an emergency operations centre has been set up.

Evacuees are asked to go to the Salvation Army at 1480 Sutherland Ave., and anyone looking for someone who may be injured or is unaccounted for should go to the Parkinson Recreation Centre at 1700 Parkinson Way.

Residents won't be able to return home or to their places of work while the order is in place.

A state of emergency has also been declared for the city for the next seven days.