Two Construction Workers Die In A Scaffolding Accident Near Disney World
Two workers fell seven stories early this Wednesday morning after the scaffolding they were standing on collapsed, reports Fox News. A third worker held on and was able to climb to safety.
The workers were pouring cement around 4:15 a.m. when the support structure failed and caused the deaths. USA Today says the two workers with fatalities were in their 30’s. Their identities have not been released. The workers were between the sixth and seventh floors when they fell.
“They were on the scaffolding, and for reasons unknown at this time, that support structure gave way, sending two workers plummeting to the ground below. Both died on the scene,” Orange County Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said as reported by Fox News. “A third worker managed to hang onto the scaffolding and managed to climb to safety.”
The construction site is intended to be a JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek. Fox News reports there were 18 other workers on site when the accident occurred. The site is situated outside Orlando city limits in an unincorporated part of Orange County, Florida, says USA Today.
The hotel is not associated with Walt Disney parks, though its close proximity is being reported by various news outlets. The news comes after a string of reports this summer of workplace accidents close to the famous Disney World park. Accidents have led to the death of several men in industrial settings.
The Inquisitr reported two weeks ago another incident close to Disney World. On August 15, a worker died outside of Walt Disney World’s Florida park. The worker was a 61-year-old man who fell while emptying oil and grease from a tractor-trailer. Witnesses said he slipped while standing on a nearby grate. He was quickly overwhelmed by the fumes and sank further into the oil. Bystanders were not able to help him without risking their own lives.
Previously, the famous entertainment park made news earlier this summer with other workplace accidents near Disney World. In July, police in Orange County, Florida, reported that an employee was injured in an industrial accident on-site at Disney World only hours after another worker was killed in a separate accident, according to Fox News. The details of the employee’s injuries were not released, though they were said to be non-life-threatening.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident, reports Fox News.
