Worksite machinery halted at noon on Thursday, and a heavy silence swept over a Chilean road in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Moments later, cries and sobs filled a building under construction on Horno de Cal street. Inside, in the skeletal framework of what was meant to become a new landmark, a 36-year-old woman had fallen victim to a 500-kilogram drum crushing her head. Paramedics from the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) arrived but could not reverse the tragedy as they assessed injuries deemed incompatible with life.
The victim, Ana S. G., held a safety leadership role at Constructora San José, overseeing the very project where the accident occurred. Described by officials as actively performing professional duties, Ana was the person responsible for ensuring that the project progressed with proper safety measures, protecting workers from harm.
The Government of the Canary Islands’ Emergency and Security Coordination Center (Cecoes 112) received the alarm at 12:08. Early reports suggested a woman had been injured, and responders arrived quickly to the scene at the intersection of Chilean Road and Horno de Cal, behind Doctor Negrín Hospital. An ambulance and a medicalized unit were dispatched, but life could not be saved.
Local authorities, together with the Police, Fire Brigade, and the Homicide Group of the Canary Islands Police, joined the response. Inspectors from the Labor Inspectorate also attended, since the incident is classified as a workplace accident unless the investigation yields a different conclusion. The matter has already entered judicial proceedings, with police investigations ongoing to clarify the events.
Early hypotheses suggest the drum might have toppled from the construction site. It struck Ana directly in the head, while she stood on the lower floors of the building. Surveillance cameras installed on a nearby streetlight were positioned to record the activities on the site. Investigators will review the footage to determine whether it captured the moment of the fatal incident. All signs point to a workplace accident.
The building in question is being developed by Grupo San José, for whom Ana had worked since 2018 as a senior risk prevention technician. The development, once named Habitat Costanera, received urbanization permission on January 9, 2023, with an expected timeline of twenty months. If on schedule, construction would have concluded in September of the current year and would include residential units along with several commercial spaces.
“It happened very quickly. The drum fell, and it lay on the ground. Everything stopped. Workers rushed to assist her and to move the container away,” said sources familiar with the incident, still visibly shaken. Around midday, about a half-dozen employees were on site and lingering near the building as the incident unfolded.
As the scene unfolded, colleagues guardedly watched as the funeral services prepared to retrieve the body. Several workers gathered near a vehicle belonging to the company, awaiting statements from police and labor inspectors. Tears filled their eyes as they remembered a colleague who had become central to the team, even before the tragedy. Those who had worked with Ana described her as essential to the team—rigorous, orderly, and dependable, with a steady, cooperative demeanor. A quiet embrace of sorrow united the workers as the hearse arrived at the site.
Ana studied Industrial Technical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. She later completed a Master’s program in Workplace Risk Prevention, Safety at Work, Industrial Hygiene, Ergonomics, and Applied Psychology at Universidad Camilo José Cela. Her career path consistently emphasized worker safety, a mission that defined her professional contributions at San José. Colleagues who depended on her safety leadership mourned beside the construction site as the day drew to a close.
Notes from those who knew her well reflect that Ana valued safety above all. Her colleagues remember her for her rigorous standards, careful planning, and the ability to guide teams with both firmness and warmth. The dozen or so co-workers who gathered near the construction site shared memories of a woman who prioritized people and precision in equal measure. Their farewell did not end with a conversation; it ended with a group embrace as the funeral vehicle arrived.
The tragedy has prompted reflection on workplace safety and the protocols designed to prevent such losses. The authorities will continue investigating the sequence of events to determine whether safety procedures were fully complied with and whether any preventable factors may have contributed to the accident. The project timeline and other aspects of the development will be reviewed as part of the inquiry, with the aim of understanding what happened and how to avoid a recurrence. (Attribution: Diario de Las Palmas).