Tragic Scaffolding Collapse in Lausanne: Three Dead and Eight Injured
At least three people were killed and eight injured on Friday when scaffolding collapsed on a 19-story building under construction in Prilly, on the outskirts of Lausanne, Swiss police reported. The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. local time, causing a major disaster on the construction site.
The entire structure of the scaffolding, installed on the 60-meter-high tower, collapsed "like a house of cards," according to witnesses. The collapse resulted in ten workers falling, three of whom lost their lives. Among the survivors, four are seriously injured, with one being airlifted to a nearby hospital. Three others sustained moderate injuries, and two suffered minor injuries, receiving treatment on-site.
Search and Investigation Underway
Emergency services, including firefighters, are conducting extensive searches in the wreckage to locate any missing individuals. Jean-Christophe Sauterel, the spokesperson for the cantonal police, mentioned that the cause of the collapse is still unknown. "We see that the scaffolding has collapsed, but we do not know the causes," he stated, adding that an investigation has been launched by the prosecution.
Initial reports from public broadcaster RTS suggest that the collapse might have been triggered by the fall of a freight elevator used to transport workers and materials to the top of the building. This incident has raised concerns about the safety measures in place at the construction site.
Eyewitness Accounts and Safety Concerns
Fernand Monot, a Swiss retiree, witnessed the tragedy and described the scene: "I saw the freight elevator rising, then suddenly, I heard a loud noise... Everything collapsed." Other workers on the site, who preferred to remain anonymous, speculated that the freight elevator might have been overloaded, causing the scaffolding to give way. "It lasted at least seven long seconds," a passerby recounted, describing the noise as "scary" and initially mistaking it for a bomb.
The site had reportedly not experienced any other safety issues prior to this incident. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the exact cause of the collapse and ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.
- Jean-Christophe Sauterel, the cantonal police spokesperson, emphasized that the current assessment is provisional and may change as more information becomes available. He also noted that the search for missing individuals is ongoing, with emergency services working tirelessly to stabilize the remaining parts of the scaffolding and ensure the safety of rescue operations.
- The incident has sparked a debate about construction safety standards in Switzerland, with many calling for stricter regulations and more rigorous inspections to prevent similar accidents in the future. The prosecution's investigation will likely focus on potential lapses in safety protocols and whether the freight elevator was indeed overloaded at the time of the collapse.
