4 workers killed in construction accident

MANILA, Philippines—Four laborers working on a condominium project’s elevator system were killed Friday evening in Quezon City when the frame they were standing on on the building’s 27th floor gave way at the height of a rainstorm, police and witnesses said.

The accident happened at the West Insular Condo project on 137 West Avenue in Barangay Bungad after strong winds weakened the frame of the elevator shaft on which they stood, police said. The construction site is a project of E. Ganzon Inc.

Case investigator PO3 Greg Maramag of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said the four men suffered severe head injuries and broken limbs.

The four steelmen—Joey Dillosa, 26; Gilbert Leonardo, 25; Gabriel Rejuso, 26 and Leo Vinas, 30—died upon arrival at the Quezon City General Hospital where they were rushed immediately after the accident, which occurred at about 6:30 p.m.

Another worker, Carlos Lanojan, 36, who was working on the 6th floor was slightly injured after some of the falling steel from the frame fell on him. It was also on the 6th floor floor where the four fatalities landed.

Contrary to radio and TV reports, the cause of the accident was not an elevator crash as there was no elevator installed yet at the condominium project.

“There was no elevator car installed yet. What gave way was the ‘shear wall,’ the shaft in which the elevator will be installed,” Maramag said.

He explained that the “shear wall” was encased in concrete up to the 22nd floor and that the upper levels consisted only of steel frames over which concrete was to be poured later.

Initial investigation showed that the four steelmen were supported by harnesses and a piece of plywood resting on the steel frames when the accident happened.

A fellow construction worker, Allan Dalanon, recalled that the winds were strong and it was raining hard at the time.

“The four men at the top were already warned to go down. I was also at the top with the other victims but I went down ahead of them to get some steel,” Dalanon said.

The four victims, heeding the warning, had already removed their harnesses to go down when tragedy struck.

Police said the strong winds caused the steel frame to sway and eventually give way. –Julie M. Aurelio, Philippine Daily Inquirer