Death plunge still a mystery
Body of worker killed in 20-storey fall from tower found by rescue crews responding to report of fire
Dec 31, 2008 04:30 AM
Raveena Aulakh
Staff reporter
Toronto police are investigating how a construction worker fell 20 storeys to his death Monday night during a fire downtown.
Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke coming out of a highrise at 25 York St., just north of the Gardiner Expressway, about 11:30 p.m.
Police and fire crews extinguished a small blaze in a garbage can on the 20th floor.
They discovered a body on the ground floor.
The man, in his late 30s and wearing construction clothes, was later identified as a construction worker.
Police did not release his name because his next of kin had not been located, said Staff Sgt. Deb Abbott.
An autopsy was held yesterday morning.
"He died as a result of the fall, but it's still not clear whether he worked at that construction site or next door," she said, adding the death was not being treated as a homicide.
Police said the fire was "consistent with someone using it to warm themselves."
The Ministry of Labour is also investigating the death.
The building, which is usually buzzing with hundreds of workers during the day, was quiet yesterday as yellow tape cordoned off the main entrance and the investigation continued.
Some construction workers told the Star they didn't know who the dead man was.
"We heard about (the death) but there are hundreds of people who work in these buildings," said Dane Schwaff, who works at the construction site next door.
There are at least two major projects under construction at York St. and Bremner Blvd.
The 32-storey tower where the worker fell to his death is the future Toronto home of communications company Telus.
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