Crane on barge topples over in strong winds at Jeju, injuring two workers

Strong winds toppled a crane aboard a barge on Jeju Island on Friday, trapping and injuring two workers who were later rescued by coast guard and fire authorities.

Officials said a report came in at around 3:53 p.m. that day about a crane that had collapsed aboard a barge in Jeju Port. 

Coast guard and fire authorities who responded to the scene rescued the barge's owner at around 4:05 p.m. The victim was in cardiac arrest at the time of the rescue and was immediately taken to the hospital.

The crane operator was rescued shortly after, at around 4:20 p.m, suffering injuries to the shoulder and pelvis, for which they were sent to the hospital as well. 

The coast guard said repair work on the barge's steel deck plating was underway at the time, and that the crane appears to have toppled due to strong winds. It plans to investigate those involved on site to determine the exact cause of the accident and whether safety regulations were followed.

BY JEONG JAE-HONG [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]