The terrible construction accident in Vienna’s Porzellangasse has deeply shocked Austria.
Four workers, three of whom were Kosovo citizens, were killed and another was seriously injured during the construction of a loft. The incident occurred during the pouring of concrete when the scaffolding suddenly collapsed, trapping the workers under rubble and wet concrete.
In this situation, the crane operator at the construction site became a hero. He saw everything from his elevated position and, tirelessly, helped the rescue teams remove the heavy pieces blocking the road.
Despite the shock and grief, the skilled worker stayed for three hours, helping to rescue his colleagues.
He was then pulled from the crane by a team from Vienna’s professional fire brigade, having been psychologically affected by the accident, according to Martin Hofbauer.
“Space is very limited in the yard and the skeletons had to be removed manually. In some places, we used a crane. We managed to free the people one by one,” he stated, writes heute.at.
The newspaper “Krone” also spoke to a local resident who saw the accident up close “at first they were sitting on the scaffolding and then everything collapsed.”
Whether the crane operator hit the structure with the concrete bucket or other circumstances caused the accident will be determined by the investigation, which will begin soon, while the crane operator is expected to be one of the most important sources of information.
Meanwhile, the company responsible for the construction appears to be following a strategy of its own – hiding behind the accident. Just minutes after the incident, the company’s website removed all links to the construction site on Porzellangasse.
A single post was captured by the newspaper “Krone” before it was removed: its Instagram caption was “We can build construction sites!”, accompanied by a photo of the site. When contacted by the newspaper, the company expressed “deep sorrow” over the “tragic incident.”
Meanwhile, according to the labor inspectorate, collapses are the second most common cause of workplace accidents in the construction industry.
One in ten workplace accidents occur in this sector, making the construction industry the most dangerous for workers. According to the Austrian Workers’ Compensation Board (AUVA), there were 2478 workplace accidents in Vienna in 2024, compared to 2665 in 2023.
The labor inspectorates focus primarily on fall protection and scaffolding control. Last year, 2769 construction companies were inspected in Vienna. The inspections also include checking cranes and construction hoists, and any deficiencies are reported to the companies concerned. /Telegraph/