2 workers dead, 1 hurt in construction mishap

Two construction workers were killed while another was injured in an accident in the construction site of a 40-story building Wednesday in Libis, Quezon City, police said yesterday.

Chief Insp. Rodel Marcelo, chief of the Quezon City Police District-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, identified the fatalities as Reynaldo Talento, 50, of San Juan, Taytay, Rizal, and Arsie Pelong, 38, of Carmona, Cavite City.

Injured was identified as Peter Gemao, 39, of Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

The victims, according to Marcelo, are all construction workers of Engineering Equipment Inc.
Marcelo said that based on their initial investigation, the accident happened at 4 p.m. at One Eastwood Tower 1 in Eastwood City, Barangay Bagumbayan, Libis.

Police said construction workers Jimmy Estrabella, Terso Ganob, and Fernando Zaragoza, were busy aligning a pre-cast stairway using a chain block on the 14th floor when it suddenly disengaged.

Talento and Pelong, who were on the 12th and ninth floors, were crushed by the falling stair pre-cast. Gemao who was on the ground floor was hit by falling debris in the face.

Talento was taken to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) in Quezon City where he died at about 5:30 p.m.

SPO1 Joselito C. Gagaza is investigating the case. (Francis T. Wakefield)