Antwerp building collapse

Summary

On 18 June 2021, a building collapse occurred at a school construction site in Antwerp, Belgium.[1] Five construction workers were killed and 20 more wounded.[2]

The school building in 2023

Event edit

The disaster happened on a new development project where a new primary school was being constructed in the suburb of Nieuw Zuid.[3] The construction workers were mostly Portuguese and Romanian, employed legally and living in the Antwerp area. On the afternoon of 18 June, scaffolding and parts of the building collapsed. The cause is unknown. The project was developed by Compagnie-O architects and executed by the construction firm Democo,[4] The victims were all foreign workers, including three Portuguese nationals, one Russian and one Romanian.[5]

The Belga news agency reported that the sub-contractors worked for construction firm Democo.[6]

Response edit

 
Commemorative stone with the names of the victims

The following day, King Philippe of Belgium and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo visited the site and spoke with emergency workers.[7] An investigation is underway.[8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Antwerp: Five construction workers killed in school building site collapse". BBC News. 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  2. ^ "1 person dead and around 20 injured as building collapses at Antwerp construction site". vrtnws.be. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  3. ^ "Belgium school collapse kills five". au.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  4. ^ "Third body recovered from school collapse in Antwerp". The Brussels Times. 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  5. ^ "Belgium: Five people killed after school building site collapses in Antwerp". Sky News. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  6. ^ "Five construction workers die in Belgium school collapse". the Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  7. ^ "Five workers confirmed dead after school collapses in Antwerp, Belgium". South China Morning Post. 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
  8. ^ hermesauto (2021-06-19). "Five dead in Belgium school collapse". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2021-06-20.

51°12′19.58″N 4°22′59.56″E / 51.2054389°N 4.3832111°E / 51.2054389; 4.3832111