Crane collapse kills construction worker at bridge project in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines.
NEWS:
A construction worker was killed when a crane failed during a lifting operation at the Udalo Bridge construction project in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines, on May 19, 2026.
The fatal workplace accident occurred at about 00:4:30 p.m. in Barangay Udalo while crews were working on the bridge, which forms part of the Abra de Ilog-Puerto Galera road connection.
The victim was reported to be 61 years old.
Video published with this article records the lifting operation and the fatal accident. The worker is positioned beneath the crane boom near the load while apparently assisting or guiding the operation.
The footage shows no helmet or other clearly visible personal protective equipment on the worker.
During the lift, the operation suddenly fails and the crane structure or associated lifting equipment drops into the area where the worker is standing. He is struck and falls.
The recording directly establishes the worker's position beneath the lifting operation, the sudden failure and the impact. It does not independently establish the mechanical reason for the failure.
Reports based on the initial investigation differed slightly on exactly what failed.
The Department of Public Works and Highways described the incident as a crane boom failure during lifting operations.
A separate police account said a concrete element being lifted during construction collapsed and injured the worker.
Other reports citing police said the crane had been lifting a concrete girder and that a steel cable or part of the lifting assembly struck the worker while he was below the boom helping guide the operator.
Because no final technical investigation report located for this article established the precise failure sequence, material fatigue, overloading, maintenance problems and other possible causes cannot be presented as proven.
The worker was taken to the Abra de Ilog hospital and was declared dead on arrival, according to police information released after the accident.
The crane operator was taken into police custody for documentation and investigation.
Police said the operator could face a complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. No reliable later public record located for this report established whether that possible complaint resulted in a final charge, prosecution or court judgment.
The accident prompted an immediate response from the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon ordered a cease-and-desist on the lifting operations of Legacy Construction Corp., the contractor responsible for the Udalo Bridge project.
The order halted crane lifting operations while the DPWH-Mimaropa Regional Office examined the accident.
Investigators were specifically directed to determine whether the failure involved material fatigue, overloading or inadequate equipment maintenance. The review was also ordered to examine whether comprehensive occupational and engineering safety protocols had been implemented at the construction site.
Legacy Construction was required to submit updated third-party heavy-equipment certificates for its cranes and maintenance records as part of an equipment audit.
The department warned that the contractor could face severe penalties if the investigation found violations of Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
The worker's lack of visible protective equipment became an additional focus after the accident footage circulated.
Police and government reports specifically noted that he was not wearing personal protective equipment at the time he was struck. The video visibly supports the absence of a helmet.
The footage alone, however, cannot determine whether protective equipment would have prevented the fatal injuries given the weight and force involved in the collapse.
The Udalo Bridge was one of the remaining major links in the road connection between Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro.
Construction of the bridge began in 2022 and had experienced lengthy delays. Earlier in 2026, the national government had directed Legacy Construction to accelerate work toward a targeted completion later in the year.
The fatal accident occurred approximately one month before the project reached its next major milestone.
On June 25, the DPWH opened the Udalo Bridge to light vehicles following an inspection. Government project information at that time placed construction at approximately 94% complete, with heavier vehicles expected to be allowed after the remaining concrete curing period.
The later opening confirms that construction eventually advanced after the May accident and temporary suspension.
No publicly available update located for this report disclosed a final DPWH finding establishing whether the crane failure was caused by material fatigue, excessive load, deficient maintenance or another mechanical factor.
No reliable later public record located also established a final criminal outcome for the crane operator or a publicly announced occupational-safety penalty against the contractor.
News story written by DarkGore.
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