MIAMI: While southwest Florida bore the deadly brunt of Irma's wrath Sunday, the coastlines of Miami and the neighbouring island of Miami Beach were heavily inundated by storm surges as hurricane winds sent two giant construction cranes crashing down. Photos posted on social media showed a giant crane had struck the roof of a building in an area where skyscrapers overlooking the ocean are constantly coming up. A Miami resident who took refuge in the glitzy Brickell neighbourhood said he had seen a second crane collapse as the area flooded. Miami, lined with glittering skyscrapers, has about 25 cranes on construction sites of 50 floors or higher, city manager Daniel Alfonso said, "so the cranes are about 243 metres high." Since it became clear that Irma was Florida-bound, authorities urged residents to obey evacuation orders and to not take refuge in buildings near the cranes.

Source: New Strait Times September 11, 2017 01:30 UTC