John F. Kennedy International Airport sign on glass building which reflects a landing plane

Two Workers Stuck Under Rubble at New York Airport Die

The incident occurred at John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 3, 2023.

Two construction workers at a New York Airport died after becoming stuck under rubble.

According to a statement from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and an article from The New York Times, on April 3 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Francisco Reyes, 41, and Fernando Lagunas Pereira, 28, were in a trench when they became buried. "At the time the men were trapped, they were moving the utility lines near a power plant at the airport, a Port Authority spokeswoman said," as reported by The New York Times.

Construction at the airport was paused, the Port Authority said, which was been notified of the incident at 11:08 a.m.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted, “My thoughts are with the loved ones of two people tragically killed while working on a construction site at @JFKairport earlier today. @PANYNJ [The Port Authority] is conducting a thorough investigation of the incident.”

Respondents to the incident included The Port Authority Police Department, the Emergency Service Unit, the New York City Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services, per the Port Authority.

About the Author

Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.

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