CENA construction worker from Uruguay has died after falling 131ft (40 metres) from the top of an antenna.
28-year-old Ricardo Matias Legrato had been dismantling the antenna when the upper section of the steep metal structure collapsed.
Horrifying footage shows how the section split away from the main structure, falling to the ground with Mr Legrato and another – unnamed – worker still clinging helplessly to it.
You can watch the footage for yourself below:
The broken antenna reportedly collapsed on top of a nursery that was fortunately empty, as the accident occurred on a Sunday.
Tragically, Mr Legrato lost his life in the fall. The other worker was injured, as was a third individual who had been waiting for the other men at the bottom of the antenna. No further injuries have been reported at the time of writing.
Condolences have since been offered to the family and friends of Mr Legrato, who had been working for the East Uruguay-based sewage and water sanitation company OSE Uruguay at the time of his death.
One individual sent ‘light to the family suffering this dark path’, while others offered sentiments of hope and strength to Mr Legrato’s loved ones as they deal with their grief.
CENSome have reacted to the devastating incident with shocked outrage, with many social media users arguing the men shouldn’t have been working under such dangerous circumstances in the first place.
For example, one individual demanded to know why OSE Uruguay hadn’t implemented safety nets, which would have broken a worker’s fall and saved their life under such catastrophic circumstances.
Local media sources have reported how the construction workers had basic safety systems put in place at the time of the tragedy. However, an investigation conducted by the Ministry of Work and Social Security reportedly uncovered ‘serious and several irregularities’ at the site.
OSE Uruguay will now be forced to account for these apparent irregularities, as reported by the Ministry of Work and Social Security.
CENGoing forward, the Uruguayan authorities will work to investigate this incident further, and will be looking for an explanation as to how such a terrible incident could have occurred.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Ricardo Matias Legrato at this difficult time.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.