Bow crane disaster 'sounded like plane crash', says survivor

Tap above to watch video report by Ronke Phillips

The great nephew of an 85-year-old killed when a crane collapsed in Bow last week has spoken of the moment it crashed into the house.

Sam Atkinson was on the sofa when the crane smashed into their home in east London.

He says the impact sounded like a plane crash and left the house filled with rubble. Sam and his mother survived but his great aunt, June Harvey, was killed.

Sam described how he called out for his aunt but she didn't respond. He said his mum was in the same room standing a metre apart but "all she could see was the roof down."

June Harvey was crushed beneath the rubble and her body had to be recovered by emergency crews. After losing everything Sam and his mother are trying to raise enough money to give her a proper funeral.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive are still investigating why the crane collapsed. Sam said it would be a long time before the nightmares he suffers go away.