A tragic incident at a Detroit school has left one construction worker dead and another injured. The two workers fell through an open shaft from the roof of Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary-Middle School and plummeted approximately 30 feet to the basement. FOX 2 Detroit reported the accident occurred Wednesday morning, and the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) has confirmed that the workers were repairing the school’s damper at the time of the fall.
Local authorities and emergency responders rushed to the scene where they discovered one worker had sustained fatal injuries from the fall. According to FOX 2, the worker was pronounced dead, while his colleague managed to get help and was hospitalized. Police investigations are underway to determine the specific cause that led to the workers’ descent into the shaft.
The accident did not have any witnesses among the school's occupants. "No teachers or students witnessed the fall," the school indicated in a statement as per clickondetroit.com. In adherence to necessary protocols, the school was dismissed early to allow authorities to conduct their investigation without the bustling distraction of daily school activities.
The DPSCD has expressed its condolences in light of the tragedy. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to the contractors and their employees and their families," read a part of the DPSCD statement obtained by clickondetroit. The community is now grappling with the shock and sadness that accompanies the sudden loss of life, especially under circumstances that could perhaps have been prevented. Details on the injured worker's condition remain undisclosed at this time.
WDIV-Detroit via mlive.com reported that police are not clear on how the workers fell and stressed that no students or faculty witnessed the unfortunate event. The incident remains under investigation, and further information is awaited from the Detroit Police Department and safety inspectors examining the scene.
