May 3, 2017
Northern Ireland

Major operation as 48-tonne crane topples on Pigeon Top

Ulster Herald | May 2, 2017 | ulsterherald.com

A 48-tonne crane toppling over on Pigeon Top outside Omagh prompted a major operation over the weekend.

The £750,000 construction vehicle had been on the way to Cornavarrow Wind Farm on Saturday when the mishap occurred.

It is understood that part of the road subsided and the heavy crane toppled over, part landing on the mountainside. No-one was injured in the incident.

Preparatory works were carried out on Sunday to stabilise ground so that another crane might be deployed to the site on Monday to lift the stricken vehicle back onto its wheels.

“We’re about a third of the way there at this stage,” Cathal McNally from BossLift, the crane hire company, told the Tyrone Herald on Sunday.

“It’s a major operation but that’s part of the job and you get days like this.

“We have a big crane coming in and we’ll set up a couple of winches.”

He continued, “It would have been a lot worse if someone had of been underneath it but everyone’s smiling and well. The morale is good.”

The road remained closed on Monday with diversions in place.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/05/03/major-operation-as-48-tonne-crane-topples-on-pigeon-top/