Two construction workers killed in separate crane accidents

A construction worker was killed and a second injured when they were crushed by a piece of heavy machinery in central Israel Monday.

The incident in Tel Mond was one of two fatal construction accidents in Israel Monday afternoon.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said the two workers in Tel Mond were trapped after being caught between a boom lift and a metal beam some 6 meters (18 feet) off the ground.

One worker was critically injured and later declared dead by paramedics. The man, who MDA said was around 40 years of age, was not immediately named.

The other worker injured by the crane was listed in moderate condition.

It was not immediately clear how the accident occurred.

A second fatal incident occurred in Jerusalem as a worker was struck by a heavy object at a construction site, resulting in multisystem trauma, MDA said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics who found him with no signs of life.

The man was not immediately named but said to be in his 20s.

Citing initial findings, police said the worker was fatally struck by an iron plate that was dropped from a crane after a cable came loose.

Police were probing the circumstances of the incident and detained the site manager and crane operator.

Deaths of construction workers in Israel are a frequent occurrence, largely because of poorly enforced safety codes.