Vancouver experienced the worst industrial accident in its history on this day 57 years ago. Seventy-nine construction workers plunged 30 metres into Burrard Inlet after the southern section of the Second Narrows Bridge collapses.
Eighteen men were killed in the accident, many of whom likely drowned due to their heavy tool belts, along with a scuba diver who died trying to recover bodies.
A subsequent Royal Commission inquiry found the disaster was due to miscalculations by bridge engineers and also that a temporary crane arm was too light to bear the weight of one of the spans. Other factors included a faulty engineering calculation on a temporary support, or "falsework." (The term "false" refers to the fact that the structure was removed once the span reached the next pier and became self-supporting.)
The bridge was officially renamed the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing in 1994.
