A CONSTRUCTION site accident closes an intersection at Bonifacio Global City on Saturday. ARNOLD ALMACEN
A structure that was supposed to ensure safety at a construction site instead sent three workers to the hospital at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) on Saturday.
A heavy meshwork of steel and wire designed to protect pedestrians from falling debris gave way at the Shangri-La Hotel worksite around 1:30 p.m., the damage blocking the intersection of 3rd and 30th streets.
Three men working for Monolith Construction and Development Corp.—identified as Cet Guinal, Ryan Saminillo and Jay-Ar Buising—suffered injuries mostly on their arms and legs and were brought to nearby St. Luke’s Medical Center. They were expected to be discharged Saturday night.
Superintendent Celso Rodriguez of the Taguig City police said Saminillo was on top of the “street protector” fixing the netting when it broke loose. Guinal and Buising were then climbing the structure to assist Saminillo.
Four other workers were then under the structure but were able to run away as it gradually fell to the ground.
By late Saturday afternoon, the affected stretch of 30th street remained closed, but construction workers explained that the street and other entry-points to the site had earlier been closed to traffic, hence there were no pedestrians or vehicles beneath the faulty structure when it collapsed.
Rodriguez said police investigators were still studying if anyone should be held criminally liable for the incident. Jaymee T. Gamil