Korean dead, 2 hurt in Bulacan construction mishap

MALOLOS CITY , Philippines   â€“ A Korean died while two Filipino workers were injured in an accident at the construction of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC)’s Philippine Arena in Bocaue town on Sunday.

Superintendent Nathaniel Villegas of the Bocaue police identified the fatality as Kim Chel Yong, 45, a supervisor of the Steel Life Construction Co., one of the subcontractors of the arena. 

Villegas said Carlo Quinton, 30, of San Jose del Monte City and Dante Alde, 43, of Camarines province were rushed to the St. Paul Hospital in Barangay Biniang but were later released. 

Investigation showed that Kim and the Filipino workers were riding a crane basket when one of its cables snapped.

Kim, who was not wearing a safety harness, fell to the ground. He was brought to the Mt. Carmel Hospital in Barangay Bunlo, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

About five months ago, two Filipino workers died when steel scaffolding at the site gave way.

Dubbed the biggest dome shaped-arena in the world, the construction of the Philippine Arena started in 2011. Its target completion date is in 2014, in time for the INC’s centennial celebration. 

It will have a seating capacity of 50,000 to 55,000, a floor area of 74,000 square meters and its dome roof would be nearly 36,000 square meters.

The arena is being built by Korea’s Hanwha Engineering and Consulting Corp. in coordination with Populous, a global architecture corporation based in Australia and Buro Happold, a global engineering consulting firm based in the United Kingdom.