Purdue University — the home to over 40,000 students in West Lafayette, Indiana — is a fine school by all means.
But just because Purdue is an academic institution does not mean that they are impervious to accidents.
Earlier this week, routine maintenance and repairs were being performed on a university clock tower when the clock, which was hanging from a crane, dropped and fell nearly 160 feet.
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According to WQAD 8, two of the construction on the scene are “lucky to still be alive” after the accident.
via WQAD 8:
A bell tower at Purdue University was undergoing a renovation project that involved installing a clock face. The clock was hanging from a crane when it dropped, falling nearly 160 feet.
In the video, you can see the clock fall several feet before hitting the deck of a cherry picker the workers were standing on. The massive time piece then toppled off of the platform, hitting the tower on the way down before smashing to the ground below.
Surprisingly, neither of the workers were injured.
Additionally, a report from WLFI reporter Trevor Peters says that The Verdin Company was contracted for the renovation. According to Peters, The Verdin Company says there were no injuries and that they are reviewing the incident at this time
“We want to express our sincerest apology to Purdue University regarding the damage to their clock. We will continue to work with Purdue University to ensure 100% customer satisfaction by replacing the damaged clock,” the company’s full statement read.
The Verdin Company said it will continue to work with Purdue University to ensure “100% customer satisfaction” by replacing the damaged clock.
