A container top loader reportedly exploded Wednesday morning at Fenix Marine Services’ Pier 300 container terminal.
An industrial accident on Wednesday at a Port of Los Angeles container terminal took the life of an International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) worker and seriously injured a second worker.
The website of a local CBS television station said a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Port Police told it that at around 7:25 a.m., a tire on a container top loader exploded at the Fenix Marine Services terminal at Pier 300. A port spokesman said the accident happened in a tire maintenance area, but said the exact cause was unknown.
The deceased man has been identified as Jose Santoya, 58. The unidentified injured worker was transported to Harbor UCLA Medical Center. He was in stable condition and awaiting another surgery as of Thursday morning.
“My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this tragic accident and to all the brothers and sisters of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “It’s particularly tragic that this accident occurred on the day of the ILWU’s annual ‘First Blood’ event, which honors those who have lost their lives working on the waterfront.”
Los Angeles Port Police along with California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) and the U.S. Coast Guard have begun an investigation into the accident. The Fenix Marine Services container terminal was closed but scheduled to reopen Thursday morning.
Fenix Marine Services said in a statement it was “deeply saddened.”
“The safety and well-being of our employees is always our primary concern and an investigation is underway with local agencies to ensure a cause is identified and to prevent such incidents,” it said.
