2nd death confirmed at Fortis construction site
CBC News
Posted: Oct 26, 2012 6:24 PM NT
Last Updated: Oct 26, 2012 9:05 PM NT
There is a broken guard rail on the seventh floor of the Fortis building under construction in downtown St. John's. (CBC)
Investigators have confirmed a second death at the new Fortis building under construction in downtown St. John's.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, but it's being described as health-related.
The second death happened some time after a 61-year-old worker fell to his death from the seventh floor of the building Thursday afternoon.
Shocked workers huddled at one end of the site. Above, on the seventh floor, a guard rail dangled. On the ground below, a tarp covered the body.
Questions being raised
Questions are being raised about weather conditions at the time of the fall. There were high winds, rain and some fog. There are also questions about the sturdiness of the wooden railing that gave way.
"Very rarely if ever can you point to one single thing and say that was the cause of the accident. Very often it's a combination of factors, unfortunately," said Jackie Manuel with the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Safety Association.
Police and Occupational Health and Safety officials continue to investigate.
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