Two construction workers died and three others were injured when a steel frame fell at a building site in central Tokyo on Tuesday.
Tokyo police say two male workers in their 30s and 40s died. One worker was in critical condition, while two others in their 20s were injured but conscious. Four of the workers apparently fell from the seventh level to the third.
The site is part of a redevelopment project near Tokyo Station. The 51-story building with four basement levels is expected to house offices, a major terminal for expressway buses, a conference center that can accommodate global meetings and medical facilities with services available in foreign languages.
Infrastructure minister Saito Tetsuo expressed condolences in a meeting with construction industry officials later in the day. He said he wants construction companies to be fully aware that their most important duty is securing safety at their building sites.