TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Indonesian migrant worker who was missing after the scaffolding of an exterior renovation project outside National Taiwan University Hospital was found dead on Tuesday.
The scaffolding at the east wing of NTU Hospital collapsed on Monday morning. It was initially believed that there were no casualties, but later in the afternoon, the fire department received a report that a 49-year-old Indonesian male was missing and possibly trapped at the site, per CNA.
The Taipei City Government said the way the scaffolding collapsed, rescue workers could not enter the site directly. They had to wait for the construction team to first remove the upper layers of scaffolding using cranes before manually clearing the rest.
The operation continued until around 2 a.m. Tuesday, when the missing migrant worker was found pinned underneath scaffolding and already deceased.
According to the Taipei City Labor Inspection Office, the collapse was likely caused by the construction company placing building materials on an adjacent scaffold, exceeding its load-bearing capacity. The office said this constitutes a breach of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the employer, along with on-site personnel, will be held criminally liable.
NTU Hospital said the construction contractor did not proactively report the missing worker on Monday. It was only after receiving multiple media inquiries that he was confirmed missing.
The hospital said it would cooperate with the city’s investigation, conduct a thorough review, and clarify responsibility for the incident.
