Devon Evans and Noel Thompson, Gleaner Writers
Construction workers at the Piñero Group hotel site at Pear Tree Bottom in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, look on in dismay at a section of the building which collapsed and reportedly injured six persons, one of whom was hospitalised up to late yesterday evening. - PHOTO BY NOEL THOMPSON
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
CONSTRUCTION WORK came to a halt at the Piñero Group hotel site in Pear Tree Bottom, near Runaway Bay in St. Ann, yesterday, after a section of one of the buildings collapsed, pinning workers beneath the rubble.
The incident left six persons injured, one of whom was still in hospital last night.
"I was taking a rest when I saw the building falling down with a man on top of it, holding a vibrator and screaming for help," a contractor told The Gleaner.
"When he reached ground, I rushed over and began removing huge chunks of concrete that buried him from the waist down. We placed him on a makeshift ply stretcher and lowered him to the ground into a pick-up that took him to St. Ann's Bay Hospital."
The freak accident forced the emergency services to scurry to the scene where they engaged in a rescue and investigation operation.
Efforts to get a comment from the management responsible for the collapsed section were futile as members of the media were barred from entering the 200-acre property, owned by the Spanish group.
The workers contend that the 16-foot columns in the area that buckled were not shored up properly to reinforce them for decking.
SUPERNATURAL FORCE
But they have since expressed fear to continue labouring at the site, as they believe a supernatural force is behind the increasing number of accidents there in recent months.
"They will have to kill seven cows and seven donkeys to quench the thirst of the land with blood," one worker commented.
Another man, who has only been employed for two months, remarked: "The lands want blood; every week people fall off the building. One man fell from the third floor just last weekend."
A 52-year-old man identified as Edward Vascianna was released from the Kingston Public Hospital last Thursday after he sustained injuries to his forehead and received a large wound over his left eye when he fell from the fourth floor of a building at the premises.
Group Piñero is expected to build three hotels over three years with a total investment of approximately US$150 million (J$9.8 billion). The project, which began last year, will see the construction of 1,200 rooms in the first instance, along with support facilities.
The development of the Pear Tree Bottom property will be phased, with two hotels being constructed initially, along with a commercial and entertainment facility, conference facilities, an amusement
centre and shopping facilities.
