A construction worker has died following a roof collapse at an ongoing arena project in the Russian city of St Petersburg.
The worker had been working on the St Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex, which is set to undergo renovation ahead of the 2023 edition of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship.
Drone footage reported by the BBC shows the dramatic moment the roof collapsed while demolition work was been carried out on the metal support of the complex’s roof. The body of a 29-year-old man was later found in the rubble of the collapse.
The BBC reports that emergency services in St Petersburg have confirmed that three other workers are alive and are currently being questioned by investigators. Eighty per cent of the building is reported to have collapsed.
The worker had been cutting the metal cables to dismantle the roof. The collapse was caused when the blowtorch he had been using cut through metal supports, causing the structure to fall through.
The arena opened in 1980 and previously hosted the St. Petersburg Open tennis event. It has also staged a number of major music concerts over the years.
In December, Russia’s Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov maintained that the country remained committed to developing the world’s largest ice hockey arena in St Petersburg amid questions over the city’s hosting rights for the 2023 IIHF World Championship. It is hoped the new arena will be built by 2023 and offer a capacity for 21,500 to 23,000 fans.
Image: MrStepanovka
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