Luis Escobar / La Paz
The personnel of the Municipal Emergency Attention Group (GAEM) of La Paz and Firefighters yesterday recovered the bodies of Ronald Eduardo Sarco Mendoza, 27, who was a worker, and Luis Mamani Conde, 51, who served as a doorman. The workers did not have insurance, but the construction company indicated that it will bear all the expenses.
On Thursday afternoon, at least 1,600 tons of earth fell from the construction of a building on Calle 15 de Calacoto. Three workers were buried and that same day Ángel Quisbert, 29, was saved. He was transferred to the Hospital de Clínicas de Miraflores.
The bodies of the other two workers were buried. Yesterday, at 7:00, the search tasks resumed. First, three dogs made a tour to identify the place where the bodies could be. After 10 hours they found the remains of Luis Mamani. And around 8:30 p.m. they managed to remove the body of Ronald Sarco, who was also the father of two children, one nine years old and the other one and a half years old.
The company Disa SRL, belonging to Grupo Salinas, assured that it will cover the medical and recovery expenses of Quisbert, the worker who survived the accident. The firm also indicated that it will be responsible for the funeral expenses of the other worker and the doorman.
The company’s lawyer, Sergio Medina, said that yesterday morning they arrived at the Hospital de Clínicas. “We communicated with the Mayor of Palca, but he did not show up. The company’s executives have been constantly working to obtain machinery that is already on the construction site, such as backhoes, and effectively accompanying the injured person,” he said.
The lawyer assured that they will bear the medical expenses of the injured worker and his recovery. “It is something that is not in question,” he said. He assured that they will bear the burial expenses of the other two workers who died last Thursday. “There is no work or construction or amount that can compensate for human loss. To the extent that something can be done in the future for these families, we will cover,” he said.
However, these workers did not have health or life insurance. “All these works are worked with the contractor, who provides the services of equipping the workers. The workers do not have an employment relationship with the construction or service company. It’s directly with the contractor and he doesn’t have employment contracts either, but wage contracts,” he explained.
Medina said that the masons are paid for the daily work they perform, every Saturday they are canceled and “they are also liquidated.” “Indeed, the contractor did not have health or life insurance and the company, understanding the precariousness of this relationship, will assume what corresponds,” he added.
Mayor Iván Arias said that behind Palca’s authorization there are prosecutors and lawyers who authorize illegal construction in La Paz. “We present a lot of control, we have a hierarchical resource, but lawyers and prosecutors are hired and there it is. The city of La Paz lives in a defenseless situation”, he added.
2 apprehended
- Process The contractor and his assistant were apprehended last night by the Police, when they were trying to leave the work where two workers died. After the second body was recovered, these two people tried to leave the place, but Police Intelligence personnel detained them and moved them to give their statement. According to Red Uno, they are being prosecuted for manslaughter.
