DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – Residents of the Dallas apartment complex severely damaged when a crane collapsed on top of it Sunday are left wondering where to go next.
According to Dallas-Fire-Rescue, winds higher than 70 mph are believed to have caused the crane to come down, killing one person and injuring five others at the Elan City Lights Apartments near Deep Ellum. The Dallas County Medical Examiner says 29-year-old Kiersten Symone Smith died after the crane from a nearby construction site crashed on to the apartment complex. The parking garage was crushed and many cars destroyed or inaccessible.
“My car didn’t get damaged but it’s trapped,” said one resident. “Because all of the ramps are destroyed.”
Many residents unsure of when the complex will be safe to return to.
“I stayed with my parents last night and I guess I’ll stay with a friend in town for a few days,” said another resident.
The apartment management company is providing residents with hotel rooms and food vouchers while it works to figure out a plan. Residents were escorted by Dallas Police Monday back into the complex to retrieve essential items. The complex has 486 units which were 94% rented at the time of the collapse.
An investigation is underway to find out if the crane was rigged to sustain the high winds.
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