Second death in less than a year
An industrial accident at the site of the Morpheus hotel tower under development in Macau caused the government to temporarily suspend “works at height” on the project, the fifth hotel tower at Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s City of Dreams complex.
According to GGRAsia, the March 19 accident was the second death there in nine months.
Macau’s Labor Affairs Bureau ordered a suspension on labor in the vicinity of the fifth floor of the hotel tower where the fatality occurred. The bureau requested a “detailed report” on the accident, in which a 32-year-old Mainland Chinese woman died. The woman, who was not registered as a legal worker, was doing painting work at a suspended ceiling over the fifth floor. When the suspended ceiling cracked, the victim fell from about seven meters (23 feet) to her death.
Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts, said he’s not sure if the accident will delay the opening of Morpheus, which was schedule to launch by the end of the second quarter. “At present, we are working very closely with our contractor to fully understand the situation,” Ho said. “Our hearts go out to the family of the worker and the people affected. At this point and time, our No. 1 concern is to work with authorities and the contractor, and also to make sure that the family of the deceased is being taken care of.”
Last year, the government ordered a two-week suspension at the property when a 33-year-old worker died after being hit by a steel beam.
The 39-story building, designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, is expected to be a new flagship for the City of Dreams complex, which has been underperforming other properties in the group and Macau, reported Asia Gaming Brief.
