Close shave as crane falls on famous Reykjavik hot-dog stand

Photo: Iceland Monitor/Ófeigur Lýðsson

Staff and customers at Reykjavik’s famous Bæjarins bestu hot-dog stand had a lucky escape today as a nearby construction crane crashed down from above.

“I didn’t really know what was happening until afterwards,” says Icelandic musician Skúli Þórðarson, who was working at the stand this morning.

“Luckily the midday rush had not started. It was fairly quiet – just one man being served, and two girls on a bench outside the stand. They were very lucky to have escaped unharmed,” he says.

Photo: Iceland Monitor/Ófeigur Lýðsson

A pile of timber on the crane fell first, crashing down onto a rubbish bin behind the hot-dog stand, followed by the crane itself. The stand itself appears to be mostly undamaged, but a part of the crane landed on the bench where the girls had been sitting.

The falling timber ending up blocking the exit door of the stand and Þórðarson had to make his escape through the front serving window.

The surrounding area has been cordoned off and damage to nearby buildings is being assessed.

Skúli Þórðarson at Bæjarins bestu hot-dog stand in quieter times...

Skúli Þórðarson at Bæjarins bestu hot-dog stand in quieter times... Photo: Iceland Monitor/Eggert Jóhannesson

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