Construction workers injured, one dies in Brooklyn building collapse

On Tuesday morning construction workers arrived at their Brooklyn job site as usual. They set up their gear and began construction on the 14-unit condominium in Brighton Beach. As the day wore on, the workers were unaware of the structural problems lying in wait and increasing in danger. The building finally gave out at 2:30 in the afternoon, collapsing on top of the group of workers.

Firefighters were immediately called to the scene to rescue the men from the debris, including corrugated metal and freshly poured concrete that fell on top of them. Firefighters were able to rescue the four trapped workers, but they later learned that the collapse had turned into a fatal workplace accident when medical doctors pronounced the death of one of the men.

A 53-year-old worker who had been safely standing on his concrete-pouring truck witnessed the construction accident. He recalled the frightening experience of hearing the trapped workers yelling and screaming out in pain. “The slabs just came buckling down,” he said.

According to the commissioner of the Building Department, Robert LiMandri, the concrete for the building was being poured in the improper direction starting with the top floor first. He suspects that the procedure contributed in a major way to the collapse that seriously injured the four workers.

A stop-work order was issued for the property Tuesday evening. The accident site remains under investigation as officials sort through the debris to make a final determination of the cause of the collapse and whether it was preventable. “We expect to take some action against some of the parties when we know exactly what happened,” said LiMandri.

Source: The New York Times, “Worker Dies After Being Rescued From Building Collapse in Brooklyn,” Liz Robbins and Tim Stelloh, Nov. 8, 2011