Chinese authorities said 18 people were killed and another 18 were injured in an accident at a construction site in Dongguan city in the eastern Guandong province in April. The accident occurred after a crane fell on a shed that was sheltering the construction workers due to heavy winds, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

Most of the workers were sleeping when the crane, and according to a report by BBC, the shed housed 139 workers at the time of the accident. Eighty-eight people managed to evacuate on their own. While 15 workers were released from the hospital after suffering minor injuries, 18 more stayed in the hospital for treatment. Four of them were in critical condition, while the city’s health department said that most of the injured suffered fractures and lacerations.

An investigation has been opened into the incident while 20 million yuan ($3 million) was made available for recovery and cleanup of the area by the companies concerned, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The province has been experienced downpours, strong winds, hail and thunderstorms while several cities reported flooding and strong winds that led to trees toppling. Following the incident, several people on social media questioned why such a heavy frame was placed next to a housing shelter amid extreme weather.

The accident is being considered the deadliest one to strike the region since December, when 74 people were killed or left missing after a man-made mountain of construction waste collapsed onto buildings in the city of Shenzhen nearby, according to AP. Police officials had detained 11 people over the suspicion of their failure to prevent the incident.

Source: International Business Times