Worker killed by falling digger on London building site named as Dainius Rupsys

An urgent investigation was launched today into a building collapse in Mayfair which killed a construction worker, as an eyewitness described the scene as “like something out of a film”.

The Health and Safety Executive said a “thorough” inquiry would take place into the accident at the £250 million redevelopment of a former US Navy headquarters opposite the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square.

The victim, named on Tuesday afternoon as 33-year-old Lithuanian national Dainius Rupsys, was described by colleagues today as “a lovely guy” who was popular on the site.

The father-of-two, who had reportedly worked for the firm since 2012, died instantly after being crushed by a mini-digger which plunged through the second floor of the gutted building. The man operating the digger was treated in hospital for minor injuries.

Mathew Wortrich, 30, the building manager at a property opposite, described the moment of the sudden collapse yesterday afternoon. He said: “It was like a scene from a film. There was no loud noise but suddenly people were running everywhere.You do not expect to see a scene like this in the middle of Mayfair — it was a shocking incident.”

Work on the development was halted today as investigators examined the scene. Health and Safety Executive inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said: “We are not yet sure if the man died from a crush or a fall. There will be a thorough investigation for as long as it takes.”

A colleague of the dead man said: “He was a lovely guy and everyone liked him on site. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. We are trying to understand what happened.” Another worker said the dead man was a “burner”, melting through metal re-inforcements while the man operating the digger demolished the concrete structure.

He said: “He was working on one of the top levels. Suddenly the floors collapsed and the digger on the level above fell down. We all watched as the digger hit him. He was dead instantly.”

Aerial photographs later showed paramedics amid the rubble as the machine lay prone on its side.

The six-storey building was the HQ of D-Day planner General Dwight Eisenhower during the war and was nicknamed “Eisenhower Platz”. It was bought last year by an Abu Dhabi company and a developer from a consortium headed by restaurateur Richard Caring, who owns London venues like The Ivy.

It was being converted into luxury apartments by the McGee construction firm.

A statement from the company this evening said: “Dainius was a popular and valued member of the team and will be missed by us all. Our thoughts are with his whole family at this very difficult time. McGee is in contact with members of his family and will be offering counselling and other support. We will also be offering counselling and support to other employees who work on the site.”