Huge crane repeatedly smashes into James Packer’s $2.4BILLION casino tower under construction on Sydney Harbour as high winds hit the city
- An unattended crane repeatedly smashed into James Packer’s $2.4billion casino
- Construction workers at the Barangaroo worksite clocked off just hours earlier
- The crane repeatedly collided with a single window pane in the highrise building
- Nobody was injured in the incident but nearby office workers were ‘scared’
An unattended crane repeatedly smashed into James Packer’s $2.4billion casino on Sydney Harbour as intense winds smashed the city.
Construction workers at the Barangaroo worksite clocked off just hours earlier as temperatures soared to 40C in the harbour city on Wednesday.
By about 2pm, winds had picked up and office workers in surrounding buildings noticed the crane begin swinging in the wind.
The crane repeatedly collided with a single window pane in the highrise building, which will become a casino and luxury apartment block upon completion.
James Packer’s (pictured) new casino in Sydney was damaged in the incident, when a crane smashed into a window pane, on Wednesday afternoon
A spokeswoman for Crown Resorts confirmed one of the window panes was shattered in the incident.
‘The site was closed at the time, and nobody was injured,’ she said.
‘A full safety review of the crane equipment is being conducted. Crown is committed to the safety of its employees, contractors and visitors.’
Carlos Gomez, an office employee at nearby HSBC, told The Daily Telegraph he witnessed the incident.
‘We saw the crane, it was completely out of control and it hit the window at least three times, it was scary,’ he said.
‘The same window three times, it completely smashed it.’
The crane connected with a window pane on three occasions after the wind pushed it into the building
Pictured: Packer surveying the construction site when he visited Sydney on January 8, 2020
Mr Gomez said he was worried people were on site because there are normally up to 30 people in the vicinity, but the high temperatures forced them off the job by late morning.
Mr Packer previously purchased two floors of the building, which will be converted into a home on completion.
It is not yet known which floor was damaged in the incident.
Though he currently divides most of his time between Aspen and Los Angeles, Packer said he hopes to spend more time in Sydney once the project is complete.
‘Having this hotel gives Crown three incredible resorts across the country, employing thousands of workers and attracting tourists from across the globe,’ he previously told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I grew up in Sydney and my kids still spend time here, it’s a beautiful place and I hope to spend more time visiting.’
Mr Packer said Barangaroo will be among the best precincts in the world once construction is complete.
The crane spun in circles for a while before eventually colliding with the building