New Bedford Porch Collapse Injures Three Men [UPDATE]
Three New Bedford men suffered injuries Wednesday morning when the third-floor porch they were working on collapsed, sending them plummeting 25 feet to the ground below.
New Bedford Police say 39-year-old Polin Andrade and 42-year-old Concepcion Andrade were transported to Rhode Island Hospital for neck and back injuries while the third man, 34-year-old Carlos Moreno-Ochoa, said he would seek medical attention on his own for a minor leg injury.
All three men were working for Moreno Construction to remove the porch and install a window on the third floor of 234 Phillips Avenue when the collapse occured.
A Fire Department official says firefighters training nearby at the vacant Phillips Avenue Elementary School witnessed the incident and responded immediately.
City officials say the proper permits for the construction were secured. Mayor Jon Mitchell says he was informed there was insufficient staging for the work being performed, which may have been a contributing factor to the porch collapse.
OSHA is investigating.