
One person has died after a concrete truck fell on a house in the Auckland suburb of Remuera this morning.
Police were called to a residential property on Rangitoto Ave just after 9am following an emergency call.
Police initially reported the person had suffered critical injuries, but shortly after 1pm confirmed the person had died.
Police confirmed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is underway. WorkSafe inspectors are on the scene gathering evidence.
Images from the scene show an Atlas Concrete truck leaning slightly on its side crushing one side of the house.
The crash occurred off a narrow shared driveway that runs along the side of the house that the concrete truck slid into.
The owner of that house told the Herald she was not at home when the accident occurred as it was being renovated.
A person has been critically injured after an accident with a concrete truck on Rangitoto Ave, Remuera. NZ Herald photographs by Dean Purcell
She said painters were set to arrive that morning and paint the side of the house that the truck fell into.
The owner said the painter was “extremely lucky” to have avoided the accident as he arrived after it occured. He was dropping his child at school at the time, she said.
The head contractor of the painting business said his employee was in a “really bad state” and “felt sick to his stomach just thinking about” how close he came to being involved in the accident.
It’s understood there is no connection between the painting business and Atlas Concrete, and there was work being done independently on the two neighbouring houses.
A neighbouring resident on Rangitoto Ave told the Herald concrete was being poured at the house behind the one that the truck fell into.
Another neighbour said she saw about seven police cars on scene this morning.
Police have been seen leaving the property with evidence bags.
Atlas Concrete declined to comment when approached by the Herald.
Fire & Emergency NZ sent two fire trucks to assist a Hato Hone St John ambulance at a motor vehicle accident.
A person has been critically injured after an accident with a concrete truck on Rangitoto Ave, Remuera. NZ Herald photographs by Dean Purcell
Hato Hone St John confirmed it had attended an incident on Rangitoto Ave around 9am this morning. One ambulance and one rapid response unit were sent, and one operations manager attended the scene.
The top of Rangitoto Ave was cordoned off while the concrete truck was towed from the property about 1.30pm.
At 2.30pm, WorkSafe issued a statement on the accident, extending its sympathy to the whānau, friends, and colleagues of the worker who died.
“Initial information indicates the incident was construction related, but our inspectors are attending the scene today to gather evidence and understand the circumstances,” WorkSafe said.
“Construction has among the highest rates of acute and chronic harm. It accounts for around 15% of work-related fatalities and serious injuries. Vehicles, moving machinery, heavy objects, and earthworks pose serious risks on building construction sites.”
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