Christine M. Watterson.MaóAlthough still hospitalised, the workman injured in the accident at the new airport terminal last Thursday is recovering satisfactorily, according to the latest medical reports. However, the 52-year old man will have to undergo further tests and his prognosis is still uncertain.
The victim, M.P.F., was one of three workers, all of whom are Portuguese, injured when part of the roof of the new terminal under construction collapsed. The other two received only minor injuries and were released from hospital later the same day after examination.
The accident happened at around midday on Thursday when some twenty labourers were working on the finishing touches inside the new terminal. It appears that one of the metal supports gave way, causing part of the metallic roof to collapse.
Referring to the cause of the accident, the State Administration´s Island Director, Javier Tejero, ruled out any form of explosion or attack and discounted the weather conditions. He said that the reasons were purely technical and were still under investigation.
The incident was reported not only on Spanish television but also on the British satellite news channels; the initital reports of twenty workers being trapped giving the item initial prominence.
The airport´s emergency plan was immediately put into operation; the area was evacuated and ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles converged on the scene, imagining the worst possible scenario at a site where some 200 workmen are employed. Fortunately, nobody was killed and the number of injured was far less than had initially been feared. The accident did not affect the terminal currently in use and flights operated normally throughout the day.
The coalition of companies building the airport extension, Sacyr and Construcciones San José, is continuing its investigations into the cause of this latest accident on a building site on the island; an incident which could result in the airport extension project overrunning its target date for completion.
