Evacuation orders and local state of emergency lifted following fatal Kelowna crane collapse

Nine days after the collapse of a construction crane killed five men in downtown Kelowna, B.C., evacuation orders have been lifted for all neighbouring properties and a local state of emergency has ended.

On Wednesday afternoon, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations announced that the collapsed crane has been fully disassembled and removed and the area is now safe to enter once again.

Four construction workers died when the arm of a crane fell about 25 storeys at the Brooklyn building site as it was being dismantled on July 12, while a fifth man was killed when the wreckage crushed part of a neighbouring building where he was working.

The BC Coroners Service, RCMP and WorkSafeBC, the provincial safety agency for workers, are each conducting investigations into what happened.

Emergency officials say that while the evacuation order for 1450 Bertram Street has now officially ended, residents should wait until Thursday at noon to return home so that restoration work can be completed.

Electricity and gas have been restored to all properties affected by the original evacuation order, but 1449 St. Paul Streetis still without gas. The building is still undergoing a structural survey and the owner is keeping it closed for now, according to emergency officials.