LOS ANGELES _ An ironworker died after falling at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Friday morning and work has been temporarily stopped, according to the joint venture overseeing the $5 billion project.
One person briefed on the incident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the ironworker fell off the roof while working in the southeast corner of the stadium near one of the massive concrete columns that support the structure.
"This is an extremely sad day," a spokesman for Turner-AECOM Hunt said in a statement confirming the death. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues at this extremely difficult time. We work extremely hard to prevent days like this and we have halted all construction activity."
The statement said counseling is being provided to workers. It's not clear when construction will resume.
A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner said the victim is a male in his 30s who was pronounced dead by paramedics at 11:10 a.m. Identification is being withheld until his next of kin are notified. The death came a day after the number of known cases of COVID-19 among workers at the stadium increased to 12, seven coming in the last eight days.
According to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, the worker fell from 110 feet. The agency is investigating the incident.
A large crane collapsed at the site in late February, but no one was injured.
The first major event at the stadium is scheduled to be the preseason game between the Rams and the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 14.
A statement on behalf of SoFi Stadium, the Rams and Chargers called the death "heartbreaking."
"The safety of our construction team and all of our employees is the foremost priority of our organizations, and we will continue to work with our partners and local authorities to deliver on this commitment," the statement said.
