Fifth body pulled from rubble of Kelowna crane collapse

KELOWNA, B.C. — The body of a fifth man killed in the collapse of a construction crane in Kelowna, B.C., has been recovered by a specialized search and rescue team.

David Boone, assistant fire chief and leader of the heavy urban search and rescue team from Vancouver, says the body was recovered early Wednesday morning.

The RCMP have said the man was buried by rubble when the arm of the crane fell more than 25 storeys on Monday, landing on the building he was working in.

Four other men died in the collapse, all workers at the highrise construction project, while another was released from hospital after being treated for minor injuries.

Boone says the specialized team was able to start its search quickly because some stabilizing work had already been done at the site, where crews may now use heavy equipment to dismantle parts of the crane that were still at risk of collapse.

The collapse knocked out power for most of Kelowna’s downtown core and prompted an evacuation order for the surrounding area.

The evacuation order remains in effect for homes, businesses and a seniors residence near the scene due to the instability of the remaining portion of the crane, but police say it’s hoped that will be rescinded once the crane is dismantled.

An investigation into the accident is being conducted the BC Coroners Service, the RCMP and WorkSafeBC, the provincial safety agency for workers.

The Mounties have not released the names of the men killed.