Collapsed wall kills worker at Jamaica construction site

A worker was killed when a wall at a demolition site collapsed, according to the FDNY. Eagle photo by David Brand.

By Jonathan Sperling

A construction worker was killed and another seriously injured after a wall collapsed at a Jamaica construction site Thursday.

EMS rushed to 147-05 94th Ave., located across the street from the Long Island Rail Road, just before noon and pronounced one worker dead at the scene, according to an FDNY spokesperson. Another worker was taken to Jamaica Hospital for treatment.

The two workers had been involved in the demolition of a three-story building, and the Department of Buildings website notes that the site had been issued a partial stop work order.

“Any loss of life on a construction site is a tragedy, and our engineers and inspectors are already on site conducting a thorough investigation,” DOB Commissioner Melanie La Rocca said in a statement. “We want to assure the families of the victims that we will hold all responsible parties accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Cole Partners, Inc., a Brooklyn firm, according to its website, headed the demolition, according to the DOB. The company’s listed phone number, also the number on wooden walls lining the construction site, was unreachable when the Eagle tried calling on Friday.

The large construction site was completely empty of people on Friday. A single piece of white police tape dangled between orange barricades on 94th Avenue. Inside, two partially demolished buildings stood facing one another, pipes and wires cascading out of their torn facades

The site of the demolition is near the future location of a 24-story mixed-use building first reported in early 2018. The 254-foot tall building will feature 411,400 square feet of residential space and 16,140 square feet of retail space, according to New York Yimby.

In a tweet, Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident “heartbreaking” and noted that the DOB was in the process of investigating.

“Every single worker who walks onto a job site deserves to come home safely at the end of the day,” de Blasio said.