Fall from high-rise kills 3 workers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Three construction workers are dead after falling from the scaffolding alongside the condo project 21 Rio being built off Rio Grande Street between 21st and 22nd streets .

The Austin Fire Department responded to the high-angle rescue at the West Campus luxury apartment high-rise around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when the three workers fell off a lift in the scaffolding at the construction site.

The three were pronounced dead at University Medical Center Brackenridge . The workers were 28, 30 and 40 years old.

Pete Didonato with the Austin/Travis County EMS said two of the workers fell 11 stories to the ground after the scaffolding fell from the 11th story and landed on the seventh floor. One worker landed on one of the floors just below the 11th level.

"I drove up and noticed all the people on the [ground], saw two bodies there," said construction site supervisor Michael Pena. "I stopped and made sure my guys weren't hurt."

Pena said all nine of his workers are safe. Meanwhile, witnesses at the scene said the people were not wearing harnesses.

The developer for the condo is the Cobalt Land Development Ltd, and the makers of elevator were American Mast Climbers.

Condo site where three people fell to the ground

Video of the scene and raw interviews

The Workers Defense Project and the Division of Diversity of Community Engagement of the University of Texas plans to release a study on June 16 regarding the safety issues in the Austin construction industry.

The study claims 142 construction workers died on the job in Texas during 2007, equating to about one every other day.

"Texas is ranked the most deadly place to work in construction in the country, and Austin workers suffer disproportionately high rates of not being paid for their work and sub-poverty level wages," said a press release from the Workers Defense Project.

A press conference will be held on June 16 at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall to discuss how to improve Austin's construction conditions. Another meeting will be held Wednesday night that addresses workers' rights at 7 p.m. at the Salvation Army Church, 1001 Cumberland Road.