The body of a crane operator crushed when six stories of an old paper mill collapsed in east Harris County was removed from the debris. The investigation into what caused the collapse of the old Champion Paper Mill in Houston continues.

Release of the identity of the 58-year-old man who was killed is pending notification of family members by the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Nine other men were at the site when the accident occurred at about 7:45 p.m. and were about to finish working for the evening, said Southlake EMS Medical Director Joe Fress.

No one else was injured in the accident. Authorities believe the victim died instantly in the cab of the crane.

For several months, the crew has been working to demolish the former mill to make way for a residential area, Fress said

David Thompson with Caltex Holdings, the company that owns the facility, declined to reveal the name of the demolition company hired to knock down the mill or comment further on the incident.

“We’re not releasing anything today. We’re talking to OSHA to see what avenues we should we should take,” Thompson said Saturday.

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