City officials say inadequate support for a retaining wall led to the death of a construction worker in a Brooklyn yard on Monday.
Jashim Mia, 39, was killed on Tuesday when a retaining wall collapsed at 454 42nd Street in Sunset Park, according to the New York City Police Department and Department of Buildings. He was hired to repair the retaining wall, and was performing excavation work along the length of the structure. Inadequate shoring along the wall caused it to crumble, a DOB spokesperson said.
Mia was pronounced dead at the scene. Another 25-year-old worker was injured and taken to NYU Langone Lutheran Hospital, according to the NYPD.
The owners of the adjacent property, 453 43rd Street, had hired Mia and other workers to repair the wall, according to DOB. The work required access to 454 42nd Street. DOB has since issued a partial vacate order for the backyards of both homes. The owners of 453 43rd Street, listed in property records as Wilfredo and Rosael Roman, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
The DOB’s investigation of the incident is ongoing.