Two workers died in a construction accident at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday, officials said.
The victims were working in a 30-foot trench and became trapped when a concrete slab fell on top of them just before 11:10 a.m. at Building 49 on the airport grounds, according to the FDNY and sources.
“They were in a trench and something fell on them,” FDNY sources said.
Firefighters and Port Authority officials rushed to the airport and pulled the trapped victims from the rubble. The workers were declared dead at the scene, a fire spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority, which oversees the airport, said the workers were moving utility lines as part of upgrades to the electric systems at the airport when the accident took place.
The workers were identified as Francisco Reyes, 41, and Fernando Lagunas Pereira, 28, according to the Port Authority.
The cause of the collapse was unknown.
First responders at the scene of where two workers died in a construction accident at a JFK Airport power plant on April 3, 2023. FOX 5 New York
Emergency crews were able to remove the victims, but both were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. FOX 5 New York“A stop order for all construction at JFK has been issued,” the Port Authority spokesperson said. “The Port Authority is conducting a thorough investigation and will be cooperating with all other investigative agencies.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement Monday and said Port Authority would conduct an investigation.
“My thoughts are with the loved ones of two people tragically killed while working on a construction site at @JFKairport earlier today,” she tweeted.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona and Amanda Woods
