London crane crash ‘could take months to clear’

A construction crane which killed a woman when it toppled onto her east London home could take up to six months to be removed, a council has warned.

June Harvey, 84, was found on the first floor of her home after the 20m (65ft) crane crashed down in Bow, on 8 July.

One month on, her family still feel they have been “left in limbo”.

Removing the crane is said to be one of the “most complex operations of its kind to be undertaken in London for many years”.

The crane was being used by Swan Housing Association and NU Living to build flats on the site of a former electrical sub-station when it crashed onto Compton Close.

A construction worker, who was critically injured, was taken to hospital and is now in a stable condition, the Met Police said.

An investigation into the crash, involving the Met, the Health and Safety Executive and the London Fire Brigade, is still ongoing.

No arrests have been made and Tower Hamlets Council said initial estimates predicted it would take three months to stabilise and remove the crane safely.

However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the onset of winter it could take even longer, the council warned.

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