Updated with further details - A worker was rescued on Wednesday evening in a delicate operation by the Civil Protection Department after falling down a narrow 18-metre pile shaft.

The accident happened at the site of the former Hotel Verdala in Rabat, now a construction area, at around 6pm.

The rescue operation.

Police spokesperson Brandon Pisani said CPD officers went down the narrow shaft and pulled out the 47-year-old worker. He could be heard talking to the officials before they pulled him out.

The worker, a 47-year-old Turk, was taken to hospital in a conscious state but in serious condition,

A medical team was also on site.

The police and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority are carrying out separate investigations.

Pile shafts are dug deep into the ground to stabilise buildings and structures in areas where the rock is liable to shift. 

Video: Christine Amaira

 

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