A crane collapsed in New York City on Saturday, smashing into a high-rise and crushing a brownstone below. Five construction workers are confirmed dead and two people are missing, including a woman who was visiting a friend for St. Patrick's Day.

It is unknown at this point what caused the crane to collapse, but Mayor Bloomberg states that mechanical failure or human error may be to blame. The crane, which was attached to an apartment building under construction, was inspected on Friday. On Saturday, it was being lengthened with a new section when it fell more than 20 stories. The company that manages the crane believes a piece of steel fell, which then sliced through the tie holding the crane to the apartment building. Witnesses said they could see people hanging onto the crane as it crashed into the apartment and brownstone.

Site Has Violations

Though Mayor Bloomberg does not believe other cranes in the city are in danger of collapsing, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer thinks Bloomberg should form a task force to inspect major construction sites. Over the past 27 months, the city has issued 13 violations to the construction site where the crane fell. In response to this, Bloomberg stated, "Every large construction site has violations."

Until more is known about the crane collapse, family members of the dead, as well as those whose homes were destroyed will have to wait to find out why this happened.

If you have lost a loved one or suffered an injury due to a construction site accident, please contact a personal injury lawyer in your area to find out your legal options.