Berlin: 21-year-old worker killed by falling steel beam at construction site
A young worker was killed by a falling steel beam at a construction site on hospital grounds in Berlin's Tempelhof district. Police suspect a technical defect, and occupational safety officials are investigating.
Symbolic image · Photo: Sebastian Rittau / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
A 21-year-old worker was killed Tuesday at a construction site on the grounds of a hospital in Berlin's Tempelhof district. Police said a steel beam fell on the man at about 2:40 p.m., killing him at the scene. Police, firefighters and a rescue helicopter responded but could not save him. Police released his age on Wednesday morning.
A police spokesperson said the exact sequence of events was still being determined, adding that investigators suspect a technical defect. According to the newspaper B.Z., the beam was being lifted with a steel cable or chain when the securing came loose.
Berlin's state office for occupational safety, which investigates such workplace accidents, has also been called in. Police gave no further details about the victim.