Newsroom
A fatal accident at a construction site in Peyia has been followed just days later by another serious workplace incident in Nicosia, with both cases now under investigation by police and the Department of Labour Inspection.
The first accident happened on Saturday afternoon in the Peyia area, where a concrete-pouring operation at a building site ended with the death of a worker.
According to police, the man, identified as Konstantinos Posnagkof, was operating a concrete mixer at the site at around 2.30pm. A boom pump vehicle was positioned nearby as the concrete was being poured.
During the operation, the boom came into contact with two overhead electricity cables belonging to the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. The cables were carrying 11,000 volts and were severed during the incident.
The worker was injured after coming into contact with the live cables. He was taken by ambulance to Paphos General Hospital, where doctors later pronounced him dead.
Police, Labour Inspection officials and EAC representatives attended the scene as part of the investigation. The boom pump operator, aged 53, and a 46-year-old contractor were subsequently arrested after police obtained warrants in connection with the case. Both remain in custody while the circumstances surrounding the accident are examined.
There is some inconsistency in the initial reports regarding the victim's age and background. The latest police account identifies him as 51 and describes him as a Greek national and Cyprus resident, while an earlier report gave his age as 52 and said he was originally from Georgia. His name is given consistently as Konstantinos Posnagkof.
Another construction accident in Nicosia
Just two days later, another worker was seriously injured at a construction site in Nicosia.
The 48-year-old man was working at a building under construction at around 1.40pm on Tuesday when he lost his balance and fell approximately two metres onto the floor of the second storey, according to police.
An ambulance took him to Nicosia General Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment. Doctors found that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage and described his condition as serious.
Agios Dometios Police Station is investigating the incident together with the Department of Labour Inspection.
The two incidents occurred within a matter of days and involved different circumstances, with the Peyia case involving contact with high-voltage electricity and the Nicosia accident involving a fall from height. Both investigations remain ongoing as authorities work to establish exactly what happened at the respective construction sites.
