Two floating cranes collapse on houses in the Netherlands

Two cranes located on a pontoon on the River Rhine have collapsed into houses and shops. It is unclear how many people have been injured but at least one person has been taken to hospital.

The cranes were lifting a steel section of the Juliana bridge in the central Dutch town of Alphen aan den Rijn when the accident happened.

Dutch broadcaster NOS said last night that 51 properties were evacuated.

Kees van Velzen, the town deputy mayor, said: "We will start looking for people under the rubble – the victims are our first priority. But there is a collapsing danger, so first we have to check stability of the homes and cranes."

Renovation work on the bridge was expected to last throughout the summer.

Image via Youtube