2 dead, more than 20 injured as gangway falls off at shipyard+

OITA, Japan, Jan. 23 Kyodo - Two men died and 24 people sustained injuries after a gangway at a shipyard in the city of Oita collapsed Friday morning, sending workers falling to the pier or into the sea, local fire department and police officials said.

The gangway to a car carrier that is under construction fell off at the Ozai
shipyard of Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co. in southwestern Japan, likely because
bolts that connected the gangway and the ship came off, the shipyard's official
said.
The police are questioning the workers and other concerned people as the case
could be searched for suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death
and injuries.
The iron gangway, about 27 meters long and one meter wide, deviated from the
ship's side at about 9:30 a.m., shortly after it was installed using a crane,
the fire department and police officials said.
About 40 people are believed to have been walking on the gangway when the
accident occurred. The two dead workers are Yoichi Matsuo, 53, and Yoshitomo
Kuroki, 58, both from the city of Oita.
Some of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals, while slightly injured
people were treated at a tent set up near the accident site.
Nearly 100 ambulance crew and police officers engaged in rescue efforts. A
worker, who was inside the car carrier when the accident occurred, said he
heard a loud metallic sound and saw more than 20 people falling into sea or on
the ground from the gangway.
''I thought a terrible thing has happened,'' he said.
According to Minaminippon Shipbuilding, the shipyard was completed in May last
year as the company's third plant for manufacturing large vessels.
==Kyodo
2009-01-23 21:36:40