Two workers at a construction site in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, were killed in a cave-in on Thursday.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 9:40 a.m. Thursday at the site where a supermarket was being built, Sankei Shimbun reported. The cave-in was apparently triggered as workmen were digging up old water pipes.
Koji Sakoda, a 58-year-old worker who was in a 3-meter-deep hole, was hit by the soil, and a 28-year-old Filipino worker who tried to help him, was also buried.
Police said they were both dead by the time their bodies were retrieved.
© Japan Today
5 Comments
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smithinjapan
Terrible way to go. Good on the Filipino, unnamed worker for giving his life in trying to help a colleague. He deserves a posthumous award. RIP to both, and I hope their families are compensated.
nath
Why is the Filipino not named? It sounds like the guy is a hero.
masaru
He has been named as セジャス・レヤス in other reports, including the one I saw on the news last night.
browny1
Sad for such a needless loss of life.
I don't know the facts but I did see the site on tv news.
It appears the most basic rule of trenching was ignored.
All trench walls must be shored up,underpinned or braced.
I couldn't see evidence of any such support system - but I could be mistaken.
Sliding, toppling or subsiding of soil into the excavation is the deadly end-result of inadequate preparations.
Who is responsible? Don't know, but it looked like an accident waiting to happen - with tragic results.
Kristine Laude
The 28 year old filipino workers name is Charles Cejas (チャールス セハス).. Yes he is indeed a young,brave HERO who risked his life to save somebody's life. Hope he will be named on the next news for he deserves to be known.