Wednesday, March 18th 2026
Following one of the worst workplace accidents in Vienna in recent years, the professional fire brigade has released additional details on the rescue operation.
According to it, 120 emergency personnel took part in an operation that lasted more than four hours, which took place on Tuesday in a yard on Porzellangasse in the Alsergrund district.
The accident left four victims and one person injured. heavy. Among the victims are three citizens of Kosovo.
Liquid concrete meant that the third and fourth victims were not found until two and a half hours later, Telegrafi reports.
Austrian media provide details of how the incident occurred where four people died – three were citizens of Kosovo
As previously reported, the accident occurred around 2:30 pm during a project for the conversion of the attic, where they had been erected scaffolding. During the pouring of concrete, the entire structure collapsed, burying several workers under rubble and wet concrete, reports puls24.at.
A 45-year-old worker was rescued with injuries shortly after first aid arrived. According to the professional fire brigade, the search for other victims was extremely complex.
Due to the situation, the alert level was immediately raised to level 2 and specialized equipment and personnel were mobilized. The Vienna Disaster Relief Service sent its acoustic location team and search and rescue dog unit, while a drone was used for about half an hour to further investigate.
The entrance to the courtyard then had to be opened, removing fences and doors. The frame and steel reinforcements were removed manually, with the help of a crane and its operator, who remained on the vehicle until around 17:30.
The whole operation was made difficult by the debris covered with liquid concrete. The first two bodies were eventually recovered, while extrication of the remaining workers was more challenging due to the slowly hardening concrete.
The pile of debris was then checked again by one of the search and rescue dogs to make sure there were no more people buried, according to the fire department.
Regarding the status of the investigation, the Vienna State Police Directorate stated on Wednesday that investigations into the circumstances of the accident are ongoing and that the Labor Inspectorate is particularly involved. After the police examination of the bodies of the dead construction workers, the collected facts and sequence of events were submitted to the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office in a preliminary report.
Autopsies have most likely already been ordered. Whether negligent or criminal behavior may have contributed to the accident is now the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine.
“There was nothing to criticize at the construction site itself,” the Vienna Building Authority (MA 37) told APA.
The attic conversion and balconies were properly installed and approved, while on-site inspections revealed no basis for complaint.
The Building and Wood Workers Union (GBH) issued a statement on Wednesday, calling for a full investigation into how the accident could have happened.
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Source: prizrenpost
Etiketa: Brief
