Overview
- A pedestrian spotted a kink in the crane last Friday and nearby flats were evacuated because the jib risked falling on adjacent buildings.
- Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, five mobile cranes were assembled and crews carried out close visual inspections from an aerial work basket that ended around 1:45 a.m.
- Officials abandoned an initial plan to weld the broken pull rod and instead fitted bolted clamp plates and steel‑cable anchors to avoid lengthy certification and speed stabilization.
- Authorities say work could finish by Friday if weather holds and that a Statiker (structural engineer) must formally confirm the crane is safe before residents can fully return.
- The crane is a renovated DDR‑era landmark used for events and registry weddings; investigators will only determine whether faulty past welding or rainwater buildup caused the break after workers access the damaged element.