A worker caught under a collapsed concrete slab at the old Galveston Flagship Hotel died of his injuries yesterday, say reports.
The worker, Tauelangi Angilau, 65, of Salt Lake City, Utah, died Tuesday after a half-ton piece of concrete fell on him as he worked to demolish the historic Galveston hotel at 2501 Seawall Blvd..
Angilau, who was trapped for about 20 minutes before the slab was lifted off him and he was transported to University of Texas Medical Branch, was essentially crushed to death, reports say. He succumbed to his injuries about an hour after the collapse occurred, reports say.
At about 3:40 p.m. there was a loud boom, a crash, and the top floor of the historic hotel had caved in. Workers immediately rushed to see if there were any men trapped inside, pulling debris out. Within moments emergency crews were on the scene, using hydraulic tools and pry bars to free the lone injured worker.
The seven-story, 225-room hotel started demolition in February to make room for an amusement park, reports say. The property is owned by Landry’s, reports also say. Ardent was reportedly the contractor on the job, and both the contractor and general contractor were at the site and were reportedly handling the logistics of the demolition process.
The Flagship Hotel had originally opened in 1965 and was open until Hurricane Ike in 2008 caused damage to the pier on which it stood. The city of Galveston issued a stoppage of work on the demolition until an investigation was conducted, reports say.
Demolition workers have enough risks without adding to the risk by lack of training. Workers know some of the risks. But adding to those risks by individual negligence or under-training employees increases the on-the-job danger tremendously. If you or someone you love has been injured on the job, the Doan Law Firm, P.C., led by Houston personal injury attorney Jimmy Doan,has extensive experience in worker’s compensation and employee litigation. Contact the Doan Law Firm, P.C. at 1 Riverway, Suite 2055, Houston, Texas 77056, (713) 869-4747 or (800) 910-FIRM.