Three construction workers and a sub-contractor are expecting to hear prosecutors announce charges of manslaughter against them today in a Manhattan court. The charges are related to the death of two firefighters who were killed in August of 2007 while attempting to battle a fire at a bank building in Lower Manhattan.
The Deutsche Bank building was being worked on by the individuals charged. According to reports one of the building’s sprinkler systems was dismantled and emergency exists in various parts of the building were sealed off due to asbestos removal projects being conducted in the building. The two firefighters killed while battling flames in the sealed-off sections of the building were unable to escape.
Asbestos was being removed form the building as a result of the damage the building received during the September 11th attacks in 2001.
Asbestos that is disturbed is known to pose a significant risk of developing any one of a number of asbestos related diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Because these diseases typically have such a long latency period effective treatment options for those diagnosed are often very limited by the time the discovery of such a disease is made.
