Work at the wharf in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Photo / Brian Perry Civil
A Fletcher Construction worker has been killed at a wharf in Vanuatu’s Port Vila.
A Fletcher Building spokesman said: “We are saddened to confirm that an incident occurred yesterday at one of our projects in Vanuatu. Tragically, this incident has resulted in the loss of one of our team members.
“Emergency services responded to the incident immediately, and our colleague was transported to the hospital.”
However, despite the best efforts of the medical team, he died shortly after arriving, the spokesman said.
“At this early stage, we are still working through the details of what occurred. We will be co-operating fully with police and relevant Vanuatu authorities in relation to the incident.”
The immediate priority was to support the worker’s family and his colleagues.
“The loss of a valued colleague is felt deeply across our entire organisation, and our thoughts and sympathies are with their loved ones.”
The accident was reported by Vanuatu media to have happened about 10am.
The man was allegedly struck on the side by a heavy construction tool, believed to be an accelerator ball, one of his fellow workers was reported as saying.
Friends and witnesses said the man appeared to be in his 50s. He was originally from Emae and had been living in the Platinia area.
He had been working with Fletcher Company since early last year, local media reported.
The Herald understands the accident happened when the mount of a ball on a crane broke, and that ball had fallen from a height, hitting the man below.
“It glanced [off] the guy. He fell over and hit his head on the concrete,” a source said.
Two years ago, Fletcher was reported to be making “real progress” with the South Paray domestic wharf construction.
Fletcher Construction says it employs 3700 people via three businesses: Fletcher Construction, Higgs and Brian Perry Civil.
The company works in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific.
Via Brian Perry, it says it has substantial marine capability.
On the South Paray wharf in Vanuatu, Fletcher says this is a $40 million project for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities.
“The new domestic wharf terminal in Port Vila will strengthen interisland connectivity and enhance shipping services to the outer islands,” it says.
Brian Perry won the contract from the Vanuatu Project Management Unit of the Vanuatu Prime Minister’s Office.
Total scope includes new wharf infrastructure, marine works, and associated landside works.
The key elements of the wharf project comprise
Brian Perry Civil says the job is in progress.
The new wharf structure will have concrete bored piles, precast beams, deck and fenders.
It will be an in-situ reinforced concrete deck with navigational items and yard infrastructure, the business says.
In 2023, Brian Perry showed how it was reusing steel and concrete on the new structure.
A previous project on the site had been abandoned, leaving 500 tonnes of unused steel, so that was going into the new wharf.
In January 2019, Fletcher Building announced a fatality at Easysteel in Onehunga.
A month later, it reported the death of two workers for Higgins and a contractor in a Bay of Plenty car crash.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of the three people who died and two who were injured in a traffic accident in the Bay of Plenty this afternoon,” the company said in February 2019.
“Two of those who died were part of our Higgins business, and one was a contractor working for us, while the two injured were contractors.”
Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.