Workers hurt as lift plummets on building site in Benidorm.

THIRTEEN construction workers at Benidorm’s twin towers of the InTempo skyscrapers were injured when a lift failed and plummeted 20 floors to ground level at the end of Friday’s shift. “We saw death up close, and we were terrified when we fell. When we didn’t die I thought it was a miracle.” Said Guanuluisa Cristobal, a 51-year-old Ecuadorian who was one of the thirteen.

Construction of the building began in 2006 and when completed, the twin towers will be Europe’s tallest residential building, standing at 200 metres, with fifty two floors and 269 apartments.

Although the lift failed, the emergency braking system kicked in, and prevented what would have been the certain deaths of the workers. Only two workers were detained in hostpital with injuries.

The Construction Workers Union has demanded an inquiry into the accident, and National Police were on hand to investigate, given reports that technicians had been inspecting the lift earlier in the morning, and yet only later that day the lift failed.

During the technician’s inspection some workers complained that they had to ascend via the staircase to reach the 27th floor, where they were working.

The workers stated they were only too happy to descend in the lift at the end of their working day, and had no hesitation over using it given that it had shown no previous problems and had been checked that very day.

Although work resumed on Monday, the two lifts have been temporarily grounded by Alicante Employment Department pending an investigation.

By Paul Deed
Photo credit: intempobenidorm.com

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Euro Weekly News Media

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments