SEATTLE — For Seattle, a tech boomtown anxious about how fast it is growing, one distinction has been bittersweet: More giant construction cranes crowding its skyline than in any other city in the country, for three years running. The cranes symbolize a building frenzy driven by an influx of high-paying tech jobs that most cities would envy — but one that has also brought worsening traffic jams, soaring housing costs and tear-down threats to popular landmarks.

The cranes themselves turned menacing on Saturday, when pieces of one came crashing down from atop a building being built for Google, killing two ironworkers who were involved with taking the crane apart and two passers-by on the busy street below.

Residents said on Sunday that they were withholding judgment until more is known about the cause of the accident, which happened on a day with erratic weather. But they are resigned to the reality that Seattle will be one giant construction site for the foreseeable future.

“It’s the city of cranes,” said Daniel Kahane, a violin teacher who lives on a boat on Lake Union, near the accident site. “They are a necessity if we want to grow this city. I walk under them, but I do have my eyes to the sky.”