Woman Severely Injured After Metal Falls From Construction Site

Authorities say a woman has life-threatening injuries after being struck by falling debris in Boston.

Boston police say the debris fell on her just before 8:30 a.m. at 84 Atlantic Ave. and Commercial Wharf.

Officials say she appears to have been struck by a piece of metal railing knocked from the roof of a five-story building that was being worked on using a crane.

Good Samaritans helped the woman before emergency responders arrived at the scene. A nearby gym provided towels.

Dion Irish, commissioner of inspectional services for the city, told reporters that the woman is in her mid-30s and has been taken to a hospital for treatment.

The incident is under investigation by inspectional services, police and fire officials, the district attorney's office and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Irish says.

Photos from the scene show the arm of a crane holding a load over the roof of a low-rise building with a section of railing missing from the roof and on the ground five stories below.

Officials have not yet determined whether falling railing was the cause of her injuries. A contractor had a permit to do roofing work at the location and is cooperating with the investigation, Irish says.

Another crane dropped metal on a pickup truck at a construction site near TD Garden on Thursday afternoon, according to local media reports. No injuries have been reported in the incident.

With reporting from WBUR's Newscast unit and The Associated Press