The incident happened just before 2 a.m. at the site off Highway 87, where hundreds of workers are on-site 24 hours a day building the large industrial facility.
SABINE PASS, Texas — Three construction workers died and two others were injured after a scaffolding collapse early Tuesday morning at the Port Arthur LNG site in Sabine Pass, according to officials. The incident, which occurred around 2 a.m., prompted an immediate work stoppage at the massive industrial construction project.
“At approximately 2 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29, an incident occurred at the Port Arthur LNG construction site involving employees of engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Bechtel,” Sempra Infrastructure said in a statement. The two injured workers have since been released from the hospital, according to the company.
Bechtel Global Corporation, the construction contractor at the site, confirmed that a “tank jump form system incident occurred at elevation on April 29,” resulting in the fatalities and injuries.
Two workers were pronounced dead at the scene and a third died at the hospital after going into cardiac arrest, according to Andre Ruby of City Ambulance. The third worker who died was a 41-year-old Houston man who died at Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, according to Jefferson County Precinct One Justice of the Peace Ben Collins Sr.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the incident and will release their findings once the investigation is complete, according to an official with the U.S. Department of Labor.
“Some type of failure in the scaffolding system caused the employees to fall,” said Captain Crystal Holmes of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Only three workers fell all the way to the ground, according to Holmes.
In response to the tragedy, Bechtel has taken immediate action. “All work at the site was immediately stopped following the incident, and we have sent all craft professionals home early to be with their families during this difficult time,” the company stated. Sempra Infrastructure confirmed that “Bechtel has suspended work on the site while the incident is investigated.”
The cause of the malfunction remains unclear. It’s also not known whether the workers were wearing safety harnesses or were properly secured at the time of the collapse.
From Texas Highway 82 on Pleasure Island looking west across the ship channel, a large concrete tank can be seen with three levels of scaffolding ringing the top. It appears that a section, possibly 8-12 feet long, of all three scaffolding levels fell. They are still attached to the structure but are now at a 45-degree angle and clearly disconnected from the rest of the scaffold.
12News has also observed what appears to be a loose rigging strap still attached to the hook block of a tower crane, flapping in the wind above the collapsed scaffolding. This detail suggests the possibility that a load may have fallen or slipped from that strap and struck the scaffolding below—potentially contributing to or causing the collapse.
At this point, investigators have not confirmed whether the dangling strap or any load was involved in the accident, and it remains unclear if this was a rigging failure, a structural issue, or a combination of both. These are among the key questions 12News is working to get answers to as the investigation unfolds.
“It’s a tragedy for the families and for those involved, and not just the victims, but for employees that were out here and family that were out here. So, it’s a tragedy in many ways,” Holmes said.
Both companies expressed their condolences. “Our condolences go out to the families of those who lost their lives as well as those who are injured,” said Sempra Infrastructure. Similarly, Bechtel stated: “We are deeply saddened… Our thoughts are with the families and our colleagues affected by this tragic incident.”
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency handling the investigation and is working closely with Bechtel. “Just know this is going to be slow and methodical. Bechtel and the sheriff’s office are all working together to find out exactly what happened,” Holmes said.
Port Arthur LNG is a joint project between Sempra Infrastructure and ConocoPhillips. Construction has been underway at this LNG facility for several years.
“Bechtel is working with the applicable regulatory agencies and local authorities to investigate the situation and will provide further updates as they become available,” Sempra Infrastructure added in their statement.
Both Bechtel and Sempra Infrastructure emphasized that supporting those impacted and ensuring site safety remain top priorities as the investigation continues.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more confirmed information becomes available.