Woman Hurt After Concrete Pump Explosion Buries Her 20 Meters Beneath Debris

A tragic workplace accident has landed a young mother in hospital with major injuries. She was hurt after a concrete pump exploded at a construction site in Australia.

The woman in her late-20s, who was working at the site, was walking past the concrete pump when the blast occurred Monday evening. She was thrown away in the impact and was buried under a pile of rubble several meters beneath the surface. Some reports said she was sent 12 meters to 25 meters into the ground.

Debris was scattered all over the place, hitting some cars parked in the area. The unidentified victim was rushed to a hospital for treatment. She reportedly remains in critical condition with a broken pelvis and ribs as of Tuesday. The full extent of her injuries is not known.

A spokesperson for WorkCover Authority of New South Wales confirmed the agency has "commenced an investigation following an incident at Lane Cove on 26 September 2022, where a female worker was injured. As the investigation is ongoing no further comment can be made at this time."

Work was going on to build an aged care development facility at the site. The developer and land owner of the project, Pathways Property, previously had at least 13 violation intimations issued against them.

The Lane Cove Council sent them notices for compliance breaches "ranging from trucks incorrectly accessing the site to polluting waters and breaching property boundaries," reported 7News.

A similar incident happened last year in Melbourne. A worker was wheeled out from a construction site on a stretcher with a bloodied face following a concrete pump explosion. Three other people were injured in the incident and one of them was left with a burned face.

Data reveals that approximately 25,000 workers were injured on construction sites in New South Wales in the past three years alone. Out of these, 1,700 were permanently disabled and 23 died.