Accident In 14-storey Building Kills 2 (Missing) In Switzerland

The collapse of several scaffoldings in a 14-story building in Prilly, a suburb of Lausanne, Switzerland, killed at least two people.

The first report reports two fatalities, four serious injuries and five minor injuries. There are still several people missing, according to the Tribune de Geneve, citing Jean-Christophe Sauterel, spokesman for the Vaud cantonal police.

"Other people are still missing," said the person in charge, not yet able to determine whether they were outside the perimeter or whether they were under the rubble.

It is not yet known how many people would be working on the project.

A witness told the same newspaper that he witnessed the accident: "I saw the scaffolding structure collapse, it lasted for several seconds. Then the upper levels of the scaffolding fell on top of each other. I saw a man fall into the void," he said.

Near the scene, in a restaurant, a tent was set up with a psychological support unit.

The alert was given at 9:25 am [minus one hour in mainland Portugal]. More than 130 people will be working on rescue and rescue operations.

The causes of the accident are still unknown. However, RTS writes that the fall of several scaffoldings occurred when a goods elevator fell from the 13th floor of the building, when witnesses say they heard a loud bang.

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The Public Prosecutor's Office is on site and an investigation is underway.

The building in question is known as the Malley Phare Tower, a 60-meter-high project unique in Switzerland, built mainly in wood. The building will rise above the Malley Lumières shopping center. It is expected to house 200 inhabitants.