Fatal Runway Collision at Gran Canaria Airport
A handling company worker died on Saturday afternoon, hours after suffering a workplace accident on the landing strip at Gran Canaria Airport. According to information obtained by this newspaper, the victim was the driver of a baggage vehicle for the company Groundforce, who was carrying out his duties loading and unloading passenger luggage.
Details of the Incident
At a certain point, and for reasons still unknown, the victim crashed the car he was using to collect suitcases into another vehicle of the same type that was parked on the runway. Following the crash, the employee was taken to hospital by the 112 emergency services who attended the scene. He had sustained injuries of varying severity. He initially received first aid at the scene from the airport’s medical staff.
However, due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained, the affected man could not recover from his wounds and died hours after the accident in the medical centre where he remained under supervision. The Guardia Civil is currently working to clarify the causes of the accident to determine the reasons why the employee crashed the vehicle with fatal consequences.
Echoes of a Previous Tragedy
The incident is reminiscent of another workplace accident that occurred at the same airport a year earlier. On 23 May 2024, employee Salvador Sánchez, 58, lost his life while carrying out asphalt work on the landing strip. He was working at the time for the company FSM, subcontracted to carry out the works, when he was run over by a road roller.
On that occasion too, the man initially survived the accident, albeit in a critical condition, and died a short time after arriving at hospital. Salvador was carrying out tarring work on foot next to the runway when a colleague who was asphalt laying from a road roller ran him over with the heavy machinery.
This prior episode was determined to be a fortuitous workplace accident, according to the Guardia Civil officers after taking the relevant statements and reviewing security camera footage. The deceased’s colleague failed to see him on the runway, resulting in the tragic collision.
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