A powerful storm system tearing through Coquimbo, Chile, sent a towering construction crane crashing down onto a residential neighborhood on Thursday, July 16, damaging homes and vehicles and injuring one person. Video of the incident shows the crane swaying violently in high winds before buckling and collapsing onto a half-built structure, sending its long boom crashing across a row of nearby houses and narrowly missing passing cars. Large clouds of dust and debris billowed into the street as the structure came down, capturing the dramatic moment on camera for residents and passersby.

Local officials confirmed that the crane struck at least four to six properties and damaged several vehicles in the collapse, though Coquimbo Mayor Alí Manouchehri emphasized that no residents suffered serious injuries despite the scale of the impact. Emergency crews responded quickly to the scene and, during their assessment, detected a gas leak near the collapse site, prompting a specialized hazardous materials unit to move in and secure the area as a precaution. Authorities say the crane's failure was tied directly to the extreme weather conditions battering the region, part of a broader storm system that has brought heavy rain and dangerous wind gusts across central Chile in recent days.

The Chilean government has since announced a formal investigation into the cause of the collapse, with officials working to determine whether the crane was properly secured against the kind of severe winds the region has been experiencing. The storm has caused wider disruption beyond Coquimbo, with regional emergency services reporting additional injuries, displaced residents, and isolated communities as the weather system continues to move through the country. For now, officials say the priority remains ensuring no further injuries occur as cleanup and repair efforts get underway in the affected neighborhood.