MAN CRUSHED BY IRON-ROD SLAB, FIGHTS FOR LIFE IN HOSPITAL

A42-year-old man of Nasama Village in Sigatoka is fighting for his life at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.

This is after an iron-rod slab fell on him during working hours.

The incident happened at the new Sigatoka Methodist High School construction site in Kulukulu, Sigatoka on February 10.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said: “On February 10th an accident was reported at a construction site in Kulukulu whereby an iron-rod slab fell on a man.

“He sustained injuries and is admitted in hospital.”

Ms Naisoro said that the victim was transferred to the CWM Hospital on February 14th and was in critical condition.

A team from this newspaper visited the site yesterday.

It is believed a stop-work notice has been issued by authorities to the contractor Basic Industries.

The victim’s workmate and cousin, Marika Nasorowale, still could not believe how fortunate he was. “I was sitting far right from my cousin, and behind us was the concrete slab. It was after 4pm nearly time to knock-off,” he said.

“As the sun was setting I could clearly see the shadow of the slab in front of us and that’s what saved me. I saw the slab was falling on us,” Mr Nasorowale said.

“At same time I shouted my cousin’s name and quickly jumped twice away from where the slab fell. It was through the grace of

God that I am alive today.

“I could be dead because I was not wearing a helmet and my cousin was lucky because he was wearing one. This saved his head.” Mr Nasorowale said after the concrete slab fell he couldn’t see his cousin, whom he thought had fled to safety.

“I was in shock seeing him underneath the slab in a sitting position unable to move or utter a word,” he said.

“I saw him stuck there in a sitting position, not able to move or talk back to me.”

Along with other workmates they tried to remove the slab but couldn’t.

“All workers came running and some used spades to dig towards where he was sitting until we were able to free him out,” Mr Nasorowale

said.

“He was breathing heavily when we carried him to my car. We rushed him to hospital.”

He said the family was praying and hoping for a smooth recovery. Permanent Secretary for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Osea Cawaru said all questions had to be emailed to him.

They remained unanswered when this edition went to press last night.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma president Reverend Epineri Vakadewavosa and Basic Industries chief executive officer Mosese Volavola were unsuccessful.