First quake, now crane damages Washington cathedral

WASHINGTON: A crane used to help repair the main tower of the earthquake-struck Washington National Cathedral, toppled over Wednesday, inflicting fresh damage at the site of the US capital's best-known house of worship.

A spokeswoman for the cathedral told AFP that the crane fell over at around 10:55 am, crashing into two adjacent buildings: the church house, which is the headquarters of the Episcopal diocese, and the cathedral's Herb Cottage, a popular gift shop on the church grounds.

There were no injuries in the accident, church officials said, and church officials could not provide an immediate estimate of the cost of the damage.

The crane was at the cathedral to repair the roof, which had been damaged in last month's earthquake.

The famed century-old cathedral, situated on Washington's highest point, has been the site for presidential inaugural services and funerals, and hosts prayer services following national tragedies.

At the time of Wednesday's accident, the finishing touches were being put on repairs to damage resulting from the August 23 temblor, in preparation for special services planned for Sunday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, which was to be attended by US President Barack Obama.

It was not immediately known if the observances would have to find a new venue as a result of the mishap.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011