Three workers died and four others were injured at a Japanese shipbuilding yard Saturday as a 50-metre (164-feet) crane tumbled while they were repairing it.
The workers of the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corp were inside the various parts of the 800-tonne crane in western Kobe city, when its arm bent and collapsed shortly before 10 am, said a factory spokesman.
"Three people died and four people were receiving treatment for injuries. One of them (of the four injured) received serious injuries," he said, without elaborating further.
Workers were replacing the shaft of the moving part of the crane, but as the part did not move, they increased the hydraulic pressure and the shaft broke, leading to the collapse, Kyodo News said, citing police sources. Television footage showed the gnarled metal arm of the fallen crane, collapsed over a narrow gap between two factory buildings.