Nine days after a construction crane collapsed that killed five men in downtown Kelowna, BC, evacuation orders for all neighboring properties were lifted and the local state of emergency ended.
On Wednesday afternoon, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations announced that the collapsed crane had been fully dismantled and removed and the area could now be safely re-entered.
Four construction workers died when the arm of a crane at the Brooklyn construction site fell about 25 stories while dismantling on July 12, while a fifth man was killed when the wreckage smashed part of a neighboring building where he was working.
The BC Coroners Service, RCMP and WorkSafeBC, the provincial safety agency for workers, are all investigating the incidents.
Emergency officials say the evacuation order for 1450 Bertramstrasse has now officially ended, but residents should wait until Thursday noon to return home so that restoration work can be completed.
All lots affected by the original evacuation order were supplied with electricity and gas, but 1449 St. Paul Street is still without gas. The building is still undergoing a structural inspection and the owner is keeping it closed for the time being, according to emergency officials.
