Three workers were injured on Saturday in the collapse of an excavation for a storm drain on Avenida Leopoldo Lugones in Buenos Aires' Núñez neighborhood. Two were trapped and rescued by firefighters, while the third suffered a nervous breakdown on site. The injured were taken to Pirovano hospital and are out of danger, according to emergency services.
The incident happened while installing a storm drain pipe in a pit six meters wide by three deep, between Puente Labruna and La Cachila street. A section of earth 2.20 meters deep by two meters wide suddenly gave way, trapping two workers from the shoulders down. One escaped on his own and alerted authorities about the collapse.
City firefighters launched a rescue operation, with the workers remaining conscious throughout. SAME deployed six ground ambulances and one medical helicopter. The two rescued men, around 40 years old, were taken to Pirovano hospital: one by air and the other by ambulance. The third worker received on-site treatment for a severe nervous episode.
Alberto Crescenti, head of SAME, confirmed the injured arrived at the hospital alive and conscious for shockroom evaluation. 'They are out of danger,' Crescenti stated. Safety teams and experts continued investigating the cause of the collapse at the site.
