This is the moment a towering crane is blown over in a giant storm crushing a 73-year-old security guard sitting in his hut.

The horrific tragedy took place in Penza, Penza Oblast, western Russia, at around 10pm on 27th June.

Local officials said the 73-year-old security guard was inside the shed flattened by the falling crane in gale force winds.

Video of the footage shows the giant crane swaying in the high winds before finally toppling over.

As it heads towards earth seemingly in slow motion it lands on a chain of outbuildings smashing them to pieces.

The regional Investigative Committee of Russia said in a statement on 28th June: “In Penza, a criminal investigation has been launched following the death of a man as a result of a falling construction crane.

“The Investigative Committee for the district of Oktyabrsky in Penza City is investigating the death of a 73-year-old man at a construction site.”

The Russian authority said they are investigating the building company for “violation of safety rules during construction work, which negligently resulted in the death of a person”.

The statement continued: “According to the investigation, at around 10pm on 27th June 2022, on the grounds of an under-construction apartment building on 65th Anniversary of Victory Street in Penza, a construction crane fell on a temporary auxiliary building.

“As a result, the guard, who was in the room at the time, sustained fatal body injuries. The man, born in 1949, died at the scene.

“Currently, a number of investigative actions are being carried out to establish all the circumstances leading up to the incident, and the persons responsible for observing the safety rules during the construction work.

“The criminal investigation is ongoing.”