Bangladeshi dies in Maldives construction site

A 24-year-old Bangladeshi construction worker has died after being crushed by a falling “jumbo bag” of cement in Malé, the capital of Maldives and one of the most densely populated cities in the world, reports maldivesindependent.com.

Quoting police the newspaper report said, the accident happened at a construction site near Hulhumalé central park around 5.30pm on Wednesday.

The young man had succumbed to his injuries by the time he was taken to hospital, police said.

Initially, local media reported that the man had died after being hit by a falling bag of cement, but a police spokeswoman told the Maldives Independent that the man had been hit by a construction jumbo bag which was loaded with several bags of cement.

In another near-fatal accident on the same construction site managed by Jaah Construction, a construction lift used to hoist building materials up the seven-storey building, malfunctioned and injured a worker.

Police said they are investigating both incidents, the Maldives Independent report said.

Numerous construction site accidents in the country have been blamed on inadequate safety guidelines and building regulations.

In December, a seven-year-old Bangladeshi girl was killed after being hit by a falling bag of cement in the capital.

Prosecutors had charged several individuals over the death of the girl, and W Construction, which operated the site, was fined for negligence.