Cape Town - Officials from the City of Cape Town’s water and sanitation department are looking into the trench collapse that resulted in injuries to three construction workers in Strand.
Mayco member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the site was closed following the incident on Tuesday afternoon.
Workers were installing a new rising pipeline at the intersection of Broadway Boulevard and Broadlands Road when a lower part of the trench gave way.
The trench, dug along the busy main road, was part of the City’s Gordon’s Bay rising main project. The project is among several initiatives as repair work on Strand’s ageing sewer network was set to start at the end of October.
Badroodien said safety measures, including trench stepping and battering, were in place before the collapse. He said the water and sanitation directorate was investigating the incident to understand its cause and evaluate existing safety protocols.
“Further safety measures will be implemented if necessary, and work will resume only after all protocols are reassessed and approved,” he said.
Two workers suffered minor injuries, while one, who was trapped under the debris, sustained more serious injuries.
Pictures and videos of the three employees caught in the collapse went viral on social media and WhatsApp.
All the trapped construction workers were safely extracted and transported to the hospital for evaluation.
Byron La Hoe from the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirmed that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were on-site.
“EMS ambulances transported the two patients with minor injuries and one patient with serious injuries to the Vergelegen Mediclinic in Somerset West,” he said.
During the incident, it was reported that the prominent construction firm ASLA was involved. ASLA later announced the immediate suspension of the specific work site while awaiting the results of an internal investigation.
Community activist Zorah Motasi expressed appreciation for the ongoing upgrades, but said workers’ safety was paramount.
“Bosses or employers of construction companies must consider their workers' lives important and put their safety first. More resources spent on worker safety,” Motasi said.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus