Airport MRT construction collapse kills 1; 4 hurt

A 13-meter-high pillar under construction and four adjoining scaffolds collapsed onto the workers. Materials from the pillar, which was to eventually support an overhead section of the rail line, and the scaffolds landed on the workers, severely injuring several of them.

No immediate explanation was given for why the pillar collapsed.

No. 406 steel column, located in Xinzhuang City, toppled at 11:13 a.m., hurting the five workers. One of the workers, surnamed Lai, 32, feel the equivalent of four stories.

Lai was in critical condition when sent to the hospital, suffering hemothorax and skull fractures; Taipei Hospital pronounced him dead four hours later.

The Taipei County Fire Department indicated that cement making up the foundation had not fully dried at the time of the accident and was insufficient to support the heavy steel scaffolds, which blew down in strong winds. However, the incident is under investigation by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and an official cause will be given at a later date.

The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA), by mandate, ordered the temporary shutdown of the site, and will keep it closed until the contractor provides evidence of safety practices guaranteeing the protection of the workers. CLA also promised to provide condolence payments to the family of Lai and the other injured workers.

The overhead rail section is part of a 51.03 kilometer MRT line that will connect Taipei to Taiwan's main international gateway, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

The line includes a 40.11-km elevated section from the Taoyuan airport to the Taipei suburb of Sanchong and a 10.92-km underground section from Sanchong to Taipei Main Station in downtown Taipei. The line is scheduled to be completed in 2014.

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