1 killed, 6 injured after crane collapses in Dallas

A woman was killed and six others sustained injuries on Sunday after a crane collapsed onto an apartment building in downtown Dallas, amid inclement weather conditions, a fire official said.

The construction crane was brought down during a powerful thunderstorm which hit Texas on Sunday.

According to videos doing the round on social media, the crane was dangerously swaying due to the strong winds with debris falling at different places before it eventually fell.

Firefighters along with live-find rescue dogs are searching the complex for missing and injured people.

Authorities say it broke apart and cut through five floors of the complex, which was opposite a building site.

Local media reports said the person who died was a woman. Of those in hospital, two are in critical condition, said fire and rescue services spokesperson Jason Evans.

"We're hoping that what we have at this point is where it ends [in terms of casualties]," said Evans.

"This is a really challenging situation in the sense that I cannot personally recall that we've had a crane collapse that involved an already inhabited building”.

"Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by this incident. We only hope that the damage that's been inflicted thus far is where it stops," he added.

While the cause of the collapse was not immediately clear, Evans said there was a "strong possibility" that high winds played a role.

The National Weather Service had reported the crane collapse just after 2 pm (local time) and there were multiple reports of downed trees. A severe thunderstorm watch for the Dallas-Fort Worth area was issued at 11:25 am (local time).

Power outages were reported in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area due to the inclement weather, affecting over 227,000 people residing there, according to electric company Oncor.