KINGSTON, Jamaica – ?Firefighters removed concrete rubble Thursday after a part of a huge resort hotel under construction in northern Jamaica collapsed, killing one worker and injuring 16, police said.
The collapse Wednesday evening was the latest misfortune to hit the Bahia Principe, a planned 1,918-room hotel in Runaway Bay in what is expected to be Jamaica's largest resort.
Firefighters searched for bodies or additional survivors. It wasn't clear whether any workers were missing.
Engineers will inspect the damage to determine when work on the $200 million project can resume, said George Ho Sang, head of public works in St. Ann Parish.
The construction worker died late Wednesday night, said Constable Orville Menzie, of the Runaway Bay police. The St. Ann Parish council has ordered a work stoppage at the estimated located about 90 miles north of Kingston. The resort is being developed by Grupo Pinero, a Spanish firm.
On May 3, a floor collapse injured three workers.
Several days later, construction was stalled for nearly a month after a judge quashed a government permit that granted the developers permission to build without consulting residents. That ruling was later reversed.
Last month, more than 600 workers stormed the developer's local offices after they were told that payment of their salaries had been delayed. A construction worker shot and wounded a security guard and two workers during the melee.
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