4 people were killed after a crane collapsed on top of multiple cars in Seattle

The Seattle Times/Alan Berner via Associated Press

Emergency crews work at the scene of a construction crane collapse near the intersection of Mercer Street and Fairview Avenue near Interstate 5 Saturday, April 27, 2019, in Seattle.

• Four people are dead after a construction crane fell onto a downtown Seattle street on Saturday.
• Firefighters said all four people were dead by the time first responders arrived.
• The city has dozens of construction cranes building office towers and apartment buildings, thanks to Amazon and other tech companies ramping up their hiring.
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Authorities say four people have died after a construction crane fell onto a street in downtown Seattle on Saturday.

A spokesman from the Seattle Fire Department tells the Seattle Times that four people were dead by the time firefighters arrived. 

The fire department tweeted that eight people in total were injured, three of whom were taken to a hospital, and six vehicles were damaged by the crane.

The crane collapsed on Mercer Street near Interstate 5 shortly before 4 p.m.

Photos from the scene showed a number of cars crushed beneath the crane, which fell across two lanes of traffic.

All eastbound and westbound lanes were closed, and motorists were told to avoid the area.

With Amazon and other tech companies increasing their hiring in Seattle, the city has dozens of construction cranes building office towers and apartment buildings. As of January there were about 60 construction cranes in Seattle, more than any other American city.