3 workers die after scaffolding collapse in Kanagawa

A total of five workers, all men, were involved in the accident as they lost their footing.

Four of them were found and sent to a medical facility, but three of them were confirmed dead.

The remaining worker is still unaccounted for.

The accident occurred around 4:15 pm Tuesday, during work to dismantle a large crane used to move iron ore from ships at the East Japan Works' Keihin District, located on the artificial island of Ogishima in the city of Kawasaki.

A counterweight of about 500 tons of the crane fell for an unknown reason, causing the scaffolding to collapse.

The impact punched through flooring.

The missing worker may have fallen into the sea through the hole created by the impact.

Police officers and others continued searching for the man Wednesday.

The dead victims were identified as Katsuki Ueyama, 43, from the city of Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, Kenshiro Chiba, 19, from the city of Chiba, and Yu Koike, 29, also from the Chiba prefectural capital, according to the Kanagawa prefectural police department.

The crane dismantling work had been undertaken by general contractor Toa Corp.

The company said the victims are believed to be employees of second- and third-tier subcontractors.