Five workers were killed and 12 were injured after a steel mesh wall collapsed at a construction site in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport yesterday, the Department of Civil Aviation said.

The injured were admitted to Rashid and Baraha hospitals, where doctors said none of them were is in critical condition. Police sources said most of the dead were Indians, but an Indian Consulate source denied this. An official said: “Only one Indian worker has been killed.”

The airport, however, functioned smoothly and no flight delays were recorded.

One of the injured workers, who was admitted to Rashid Hospital, told Gulf News 35 men were working near the wall when the incident occurred at 10:45am.

“There was a loud bang when the steel mesh wall suddenly came down,” he said. “I heard my colleagues screaming as I ran. I saw them trapped under steel.”

A construction foreman, a Westerner, who requested anonymity, said: “We were working at the accident scene when suddenly we heard a loud crushing sound. Before we knew it, the reinforcement steel wall was coming down on us.

"The sound of the crash mixed with the cries of the workers who were trapped. We could not see anything because a huge cloud of dust filled the place.”

The versions of the workers vary – some said rescue operations started almost an hour later, while others said ambulances, police and Civil Defence arrived in 15 minutes. The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) said rescue operation began immediately.

The department’s statement said: “Around 10:45am, during the preparation of a wall, a section of the reinforcement cage fell trapping workers. Emergency personnel responded immediately and rushed to the site.

“Twelve workers were rescued and sent to Rashid and Al Baraha hospitals with injuries while five succumbed in the incident. This is the first major incident to ever occur at Dubai International Airport during construction.”

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group, said: “It is a tragic situation for all of us at the Department of Civil Aviation. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased workers.

"We will conduct a full investigation into the accident. We have extremely strict and most professionally controlled quality assurance and quality control systems in place here. We have three independent safety bodies – one controlled by the contractor, one by the consultant and one by the DCA.

"We would like to reinforce the fact that safety of all our people working at Dubai International Airport is the top priority.”

Word about the incident spread fast, with several people calling Gulf News enquiring about the death toll. Rumours spread, with varying accounts of what happened.

The approach to the airport was packed with car as drivers stopped to get a quick glimpse. Construction workers from other sites also made their way towards Terminal 3.

Police moved in quickly to seal the area, and journalists were not allowed access to the site. Getting information about the accident proved a difficult task, with workers providing different accounts and no official willing to comment.

The DCA issued a statement later in the afternoon announcing the death toll and giving a brief description of the incident.

A police source said the rescue operation was called off yesterday evening because all the workers had been accounted for. The source said: “We will revisit the site tomorrow morning to double-check.”

The airport is being expanded at a cost of $4.1 billion. One of the main contractors is Al Naboudah John Laing O’Rourke. Gulf News visited the company’s office, but an official there said a statement would be issued later.

Ambitious expansion project underway

  • The expansion of the Dubai International Airport is a huge enterprise. It will include passenger facilities, the cargo terminal, the Dubai Flower Centre, aprons, roads, tunnels and extension of the runways.
  • Terminal 3, where the accident happened, is a multi-level structure capable of taking in more than ten soccer pitches.
  • The main structure is underground, beneath the airport apron. Taxiways, once completed, will be barely visible. The design has been done by Aeroports de Paris International.
  • The terminal will have an underground parking lot for 2,600 cars. The departures and arrival halls within the terminal will be 10 metres beneath the apron.
    Information courtesy Dubai International Airport Yearbook