Two workers on the Downtown Dubai development died last week after the crane they were using to fix an exterior glass plane came loose and fell to the ground.
The accident occurred last Tuesday at 4.30pm while the two men were doing cladding work on the 27th floor on one of the buildings that form the Boulevard Plaza at the Downtown Dubai development.
While the exact cause of the accident is still being investigated, the Dubai Police has published a statement saying that it believed that the men’s cradle had “lost balance”. The National newspaper reported that a source had added that: “the side winch of the cradle they were using ‘had failed’”.
Police photography suggests that the men were wearing safety harnesses and hard hats, although it is still unclear whether they had been properly attached.
The two men, both from India, were employed by Emaar subsidiary, Mulitforms, which won the contract for cladding work on the Boulevard Plaza for $40.8 million from the Samsung Corporation in 2007. The contractor has confirmed that the workers will be repatriated and that the site will be shut for a day.
Area developer Emaar, said: “We regret to report the death of two employees of a private company, who were working for one of the contractors on a project under construction in Downtown Dubai. The concerned authorities are currently investigating the incident. We extend our sincere condolences to their families.”
