2 construction workers die in St. Louis elevator shaft fall

ST. LOUIS – Investigators say two construction workers have died after a safety cable snapped and they fell down an elevator shaft in St. Louis.

The accident happened Monday at a century-old, 10-story building downtown that’s being converted to a hotel.

City public safety director Jimmie Edwards says the men were cutting pipes before the cable snapped. The basket they were working in fell, though it wasn’t immediately clear how far.

Edwards says no problems were found at the building during an inspection 10 days ago. Investigators from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration are on the scene.

The workers’ names haven’t been released.

The building opened in 1909 and once housed International Shoe Co. Milwaukee-based Fe Equus Development is redeveloping the building. The company didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.