Two construction workers were killed last week in Queens, New York by a steel beam that fell from a crane at an apartment complex worksite.

The 6,500 pound beam was being lifted four stories high on Tuesday when it fell, hitting the cab of the crane and killing the crane operator inside before falling on a worker on the ground.

News sources report that the two men were dead by the time emergency workers arrived on the scene.

Although strong winds caused some area contractors to send their workers home that day, investigators say early indications are that the accident was caused by a failure of the crane’s rigging. Authorities caution that no final determination has been made.