The construction site. (Matt DeLucia/FOX5)
Map indicating the location of the accident. (Matt DeLucia/FOX5)
Emergency vehicles arrive at the accident scene. (Matt DeLucia/FOX5)
More emergency vehicles at the scene. (Matt DeLucia/FOX5)A construction worker was killed Monday afternoon at the site of one the tunnels under construction by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) at Lake Mead.
According to a statement from SNWA, three crew members were working in a tunnel area roughly 600 feet below ground when a tunnel segment was jarred loose and pressurized grout was discharged, striking two of the workers.
One workers was killed; the other suffered only minor injuries.
No other workers were harmed in the accident.
The accident will be investigated by the Southern Nevada Water Authority along with OSHA. Construction will resume when the site is deemed safe.
The tunnel is part of Intake No. 3, known as the Third Straw. The project was created to deal with ongoing drought conditions in southern Nevada and is scheduled for completion in 2014.
Intake 3 was designed to draw lake water as low as 1,000 feet above sea level, assuring a steady supply in case the lake's level drops too low for Intake No. 1 to draw water.
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