Worker dies following scaffolding collapse at Sydney construction site
The heartbroken mother of an apprentice construction worker crushed to death visits the building site.
An apprentice construction worker who just days ago celebrated his 18th birthday was yesterday crushed to death when nine storeys of scaffolding collapsed at a Sydney building site
Christopher Cassaniti, who was last night remembered as a “ball of energy” who was “always smiling”, died and a 39-year-old colleague was critically injured when scaffolding fell on them at the apartment development at the Lachlan’s Line project at the North Ryde metro station precinct shortly after midday.
The 39-year-old was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital with lower body injuries after being freed at about 1pm.
Mr Cassaniti was pronounced dead at the scene, with rescuers only able to reach him shortly before 3pm.
A worker at the site said Mr Cassaniti’s parents were devastated, with the pair visiting the construction site in the afternoon after learning of the collapse.
“The first (paramedics) to arrive at the scene found an absolute chaotic, emotionally charged scene,” NSW Ambulance acting superintendent Steve Vaughan said.
Footage has emerged of desperate construction workers, decked out in safety gear and and high visibility shirts, rushing to the the aid of their injured colleagues buried under the scaffolding.
Over 15 workers helped sort through the rubble, shouting commands to each other as they worked to locate the two men.
"If scaffolding is erected, maintained and loaded properly then this should not happen"
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) April 1, 2019
CFMEU National Secretary Dave Noonan on yesterday's deadly Sydney scaffolding collapse. pic.twitter.com/JbhzaGfYku
Multiple police attended the scene with megaphones to help coordinate the rescue efforts and direct construction workers on-site to safer areas.
Albert Muscat, who was working on the site at the time of the collapse, said he “heard people in there screaming ‘help us, help us’,” at which point he and other workers began cutting the scaffolding to try to free them, but that “after maybe 20 minutes we heard no more sound”.
It was reported police threatened workers with pepper spray and batons to stop them from rushing in to help free their colleagues.
Four Fire and Rescue crews, 10 ambulance crews and two helicopters were called to the scene.
Construction company Genellen said it was doing all it could to help.
“Our immediate concern and focus is on the safety of our people and accounting for those who were in the vicinity of the accident, and ensuring the site is safely secured,” the company said.
“We will continue to assist emergency authorities in any way we can and provide further details as available and appropriate.”
Video footage that appears to have been filmed shortly after the incident shows tonnes of steel, concrete and meshing strewn over the construction site. Workers can be seen running to safety as pieces of debris are heard falling to the ground.
Darren Greenfield, CFMEU general secretary, said he and “officials were on hand to assist in the investigation and provide support to all members on site”.
“We are angered that another young worker, only 18 years old, has been killed and another 39-year-old worker seriously injured … Such tragedy should not occur.”
A SafeWork NSW spokeswoman said a number of tradesmen were working on a lower deck of scaffolding when it collapsed.
“While the cause of the collapse is unknown at this stage, SafeWork is employing significant resources to fully understand how this tragic incident occurred,” she said.
Additional reporting: AAP
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