SAN PEDRO (CNS) - A dock worker was killed today and another severely injured in an accident involving a blown tire at a container terminal at the Port of Los Angeles.
The Fenix Marine Services terminal on Pier 300 was closed following the 7:30 a.m. accident, which will be investigated by Cal/OSHA, Port Police and other agencies, port spokeswoman Rachel Campbell said.
The blown tire was attached to a top loader, she said. Top loaders are used to move containers once they are unloaded from ships.
The workers were members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Paramedics took the severely injured worker to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. There was no immediate word on the ages or names of the victims.
“I am heartbroken to hear that this morning we lost one of our ILWU brothers in an industrial accident at the Port of Los Angeles while another has been seriously injured,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino.
“Please keep their families in your prayers and respect their privacy at this time,” he said. “Today is a tragic reminder of the danger that thousands of workers face every day working on our docks. My office will continue to work with the ILWU, Port Police, LAPD and LAFD as they investigate the cause of the accident.”
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka added that accident was “particularly tragic" because it occurred on the day of the ILWU's annual “First Blood" event, which honors those who have lost their lives working on the waterfront.
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