Three dead in Hong Kong crane collapse

Three workers have died and six others were injured after a crane collapsed at a construction site in Hong Kong.

The crane fell on to a number of cargo containers which were being used as temporary offices.

Some workers were in the containers when the crane came down shortly before 11am local time (4am BST) on Wednesday, said fire official Yim Ying-kit.

One man was declared dead at the site in Kowloon after suffering a skull fracture, while another died after being taken to hospital, authorities said.

Rescue teams spent hours trying to reach a third man who was trapped under the wreckage, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

The crane was reportedly 30 metres tall with a 35-metre-long arm and weighed 65 tonnes.

It was in operation when it collapsed but was not carrying any load, Mr Yim said.

The scene of the accident was part of a construction site for a subsidised public housing project that aimed to create 19,000 homes, the South China Morning Post reported.

The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun, has ordered work to be suspended at the site.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said the labour department would investigate the incident and inspect construction sites with cranes to make sure they complied with safety standards.