LISBON, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Two Brazilian construction workers aged between 30 and 40 were killed on Wednesday after a large crane collapsed in Belas, in the municipality of Sintra, about 20 km northwest of Lisbon.
The incident was reported at 8:04 a.m. (0604 GMT) after nearby residents heard a loud noise and found two bodies close to the crane lying in the street.
A third worker, who was painting the rear of a building at the time of the accident, was not injured. The collapse also damaged one vehicle parked nearby.
Sintra Mayor Marco Almeida arrived at the scene and said he had requested inspectors from the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) to assess safety conditions at the construction site. He added that authorities were also gathering information to determine whether the construction work had been properly licensed.
Some residents told Portuguese broadcaster RTP that the crane had previously shown signs of instability. Almeida said technical experts and police investigators would determine the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
