UIJEONGBU -- Three workers were killed with two others injured after a high-rise crane collapsed at a construction site north of Seoul on Tuesday, authorities said.

A 14-story-high tower crane snapped and fell to the ground at an apartment construction site in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, around 1:35 p.m., according to the police and fire authorities.

The three victims were working on top of the crane before they fell with the machine, the authorities said. Another worker, who also fell, survived as he was caught on one of the cords and rescued by the firefighters.

The crane driver suffered minor injuries. 

The authorities said they expect more casualties from the accident as many others were working below the crane at that time.

The victims were apparently doing demolition work at the site.

The authorities said they are searching for any survivors in the debris, while investigating the exact cause of the collapse.

Labor Minister Kim Young-joo later visited the accident site to offer her condolences on the deaths. Kim also warned that the government is preparing a measure to expel accident-ridden crane operators.

The government "is pushing for a measure to kick out of the market any crane company that repeats an accident within the three years of causing a deadly accident," Kim told reporters. (Yonhap)