Demolition worker killed during post-quake Haiti cleanup.
Demolition work across the city of Jacmel in Haiti has been halted indefinitely after one young man was killed and another injured when a house partially collapsed on the pair during a group clearing effort.
The incident highlights the precarious nature of site-clearing work in post-earthquake Jacmel. With half-demolished buildings littering the city, the laborious job of clearing the lots they sit on has become both a vital precursor to rebuilding and a sought-after form of income for the unemployed.
For weeks, non-government organizations across the city have been paying teams of locals about 200 Gourdes per day (about $10) to take to the streets – and half-demolished building plots – with hard hats and shovels. Under the umbrella of a United Nation’s cash-for-work program, most workers who are lucky enough to win a placement (and a monogrammed t-shirt) can be employed for up to two weeks regardless of whether they have a background in construction.
Read more here or view the video below for an insight into the task facing demolition workers.
