DETROIT – A construction worker was killed and another was injured when they fell into a shaft and dropped from the roof of a Detroit school to the basement, officials said.
📄 UPDATE: What caused 2 workers to fall 35 feet at Detroit school
The discovery was made Wednesday morning, May 29, 2024, at the Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary-Middle School, which is on Puritan Avenue on Detroit’s west side.
Police told Local 4 that construction workers were on the roof of the school when two of them fell into a shaft. It’s unclear what caused the workers to fall.
Officials believe the workers fell at least three stories into the basement.
One person was pronounced dead, and another was taken to a nearby hospital.
Teachers and students didn’t witness the fall, and they were not aware of what happened until after the fact, police said.
Here is a statement from the Detroit Public Schools Community District:
Today at Bethune Elementary a contractor’s employee passed away after falling while repairing the building’s damper. Another contractor employee was also injured. The authorities are conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident. Students were isolated from the accident and were not involved. Our deepest sympathy goes out to the contractors and their employees and their families. School was dismissed early to avoid distractions to staff and students and allow authorities space and time to address the accident.
DPSCD