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2 construction workers die in JFK Airport incident
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Apr 3, 2023
Modified Apr 3, 2023
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By
Catalina Gonella
Published Apr 3, 2023
Modified Apr 3, 2023
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Two construction workers died Monday after getting trapped under rubble at JFK international airport, the Port Authority said.
The Port Authority Police Department learned the two workers were trapped under the construction rubble around 11:08 a.m. They were pronounced dead on arrival, according to the FDNY. The PAPD Emergency Services Unit, FDNY and EMS responded to the scene, but details of what led to the incident or where exactly in the airport it occurred were not released by Monday afternoon.
The Port Authority said the workers were relocating utility lines near a cogeneration plant to support the airport's redevelopment project. Flight operations at the airport were not affected.
A stop order was issued for all construction at JFK and an investigation was ongoing, the Port Authority said.
"My thoughts are with the loved ones of two people tragically killed while working on a construction site at @JFKairport earlier today," Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted on Monday. "[The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey] is conducting a thorough investigation of the incident."
In a joint statement on Monday, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Selvena N. Brooks-Powers and said the latest incident marked the third workplace fatality to occur at JFK Airport in the past month.
“JFK Airport is not just a gateway to New York City, but also an essential part of our Southeast Queens community," the statement said. "Residents, workers, and visitors alike deserve to be safe—and that must include the essential workers who contribute to the daily activity and success of the airport and surrounding communities."
Construction worker deaths reached a five-year-high in New York City last year.
This story has been updated with additional information and a comment from Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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Catalina Gonella
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