Dockworker Dies in Accident at Port of Los Angeles Container Terminal

File Photo: Port of Los Angeles

One dockworker has died and another sustained severe injuries in an accident at a Port of Los Angeles container terminal on Wednesday.

A Port of Los Angeles statement said the incident took place at approximately 7:25 a.m. at the Fenix Marine Services at Pier 300.

An industrial accident on Wednesday, May 15 at a Port of Los Angeles container terminal tragically took the life of an International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) worker and seriously injured a second worker. According to initial reports, the accident involving a top loader container handler. The injured worker was transported to Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

“My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this tragic accident and to all the brothers and sisters of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “It’s particularly tragic that this accident occurred on the day of the ILWU’s annual ‘First Blood’ event, which honors those who have lost their lives working on the waterfront.”

“I am heartbroken to learn that we lost one of our ILWU brothers in an industrial accident at the Port of Los Angeles while another has been seriously injured,” said Los Angeles 15th District City Councilman Joe Buscaino. “Please keep their families in your prayers and respect their privacy at this time. Today is a tragic reminder of the danger that thousands of workers face every day working on our docks. My office will continue to work with the agencies investigating this accident.”

Los Angeles Port Police along with California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) and the U.S. Coast Guard have begun an investigation into the accident.

The Fenix Marine Services container terminal is currently closed.

The identities of victims have not been made available. Both were members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents dockworkers at ports on the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, and in British Columbia, Canada.

Pier 300 is the second largest container terminal at the Port of Los Angeles. Fenix took over operations of the terminal from Eagle Mariner Services earlier this year, however, it has been a tenant at the port since 1997.

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