Seven people were hurt Monday when a suspended camera fell more than 60 feet onto a concourse outside the stadium hosting Olympic basketball at the Rio Games.
NBC reports the camera, operated by the Olympic Broadcasting Service, fell when two guide cables snapped. The camera had been used to provide aerial shots of the main Olympic Park to international broadcasters like NBC. One witness told the network he heard a snap and saw the camera hit two women walking in the concourse:
“It looked like a flying saucer coming through the air when it hit these two women,” Adams said. “This thing is big, and it shot through the air. It came down at such a speed that they wouldn’t see it. They weren’t expecting it.”
AdvertisementThe severity of the injuries was not immediately clear. Rio Games organizers said at least one woman was taken to a hospital. The Olympic Broadcasting Service said medical officials on the scene described the injuries as “minor,” and it has launched a full investigation into the incident.
The camera’s fall was caught on one of the many cameras in the immediate area: