At least 11 killed from fall in Philippine construction site

Manila (Philippine Daily Iqnuirer/ANN) - At least 11 workers were killed at a construction site in Makati City, the Philippines' financial capital, when an electric gondola carrying them broke and sent them plummeting from the 28th floor to the 7th floor, according to a report on Radio Inquirer.

Another victim was being revived, the report said.

Ten were brought to the Ospital ng Makati and two at the Makati Medical Center following the 11:45 a.m. accident at the 39-story Eton Residences construction site at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Gallardo Street, it said.

The victims, who were installing glass panels, were aboard a gondola that could hold only two passengers, said Senior Fire Officer 2 Gerzon Moncada, an investigator from the Bureau of Fire.

Investigators surmised the cables broke or the motor malfunctioned.

The construction company is CE Construction.

Moncada identified the victims at the Makati Hospital as Joel Abezilla, Celso Mabuting, Michael Tatlonghari, Kevin Mabunga, Borz Cristobal, Tisoy Perez, Vicente Pi?ion, William Ba?ez, Jaykie Legada and Diocado Jeffrey.

All bodies were retrieved by 1 p.m., he said.

Denny Villanueva, a company driver employed at the neighboring building, said he saw the gondola plummeting.

"It dropped so fast. It was carrying around eight people. Maybe the other victims were only hit as it passed, or were crushed under. It was their break time: they were probably hitching a ride to go down for lunch," he said.

Another witness, food stall attendant Mary Ann Centro, said the crash of the gondola was so loud she thought the building had collapsed.

"People were pointing and shrieking. When I looked out the stall, I saw two bodies hanging" from the debris catcher net.

Six bodies were caught in the net. Two victims fell to the floor underneath. Three were found on the 8th floor, retriever FO1 Jomar Jumawan said.

The red gondola, a kind of elevator used at construction sites, was still hanging open on the 7th floor.

The victims had fractured limbs, bloodied heads, Jumawan said.

Only one was found conscious.