Collapse of built environment

A third worker has been confirmed dead after a roughly 40-meter-high scaffolding collapsed at a demolition site in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, while one worker who likely fell into the ocean remained missing, police said Wednesday.
In the Tuesday incident that occurred at around 4:25 p.m., five male workers, aged in their teens to 40s, are believed to have fallen from the scaffolding and a part of a crane being taken apart at a site within JFE Steel Corp's East Japan Works steelmaking complex.
The police identified the two men confirmed dead earlier as Kenshiro Chiba, 19, and Yu Koike, 29. The third man had been unconscious and in critical condition when taken to the hospital.
The incident involved a massive crane at the site, which utilized a 500-ton counterweight to maintain stability during cargo loading and unloading operations. The weight came loose and made contact with the scaffolding, the police and the local fire department said.
A strong wind advisory had been issued for Kawasaki at the time of the accident, according to a local weather observatory.
A 65-year-old man who was fishing on the opposite bank said he was surprised to hear the loud sound of metal being hit and witnessed a cloud of dust.
The incident took place in a factory area on the artificial island of Ogishima, south of JR Ogimachi Station.
© KYODO