2 construction workers die in scaffolding collapse near Disney World

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Scaffolding accident kills 2 construction workers near Disney World Two construction workers fell to their deaths when scaffolding collapsed above the sixth floor of a hotel under construction near Disney World in Orlando, Florida. A third worker managed to hang on and climb to safety.

Two construction workers who were pouring concrete for a new hotel plunged six floors to their death early Wednesday when their scaffolding collapsed at the site near Orlando, just outside Disney World, according to fire and rescue officials.

A third man was able to hang onto a part of the scaffold and pull himself to safety, sustaining minor injuries, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ingrid Tejada-Monforte said.

She identified the victims as Lorenzo Zavala, 34, and Jerry Bell, 46. She said both men died on the scene before rescue crews arrived.

The men were working between the sixth and seventh floors of a new Marriott hotel, slated to open in 2019, when the accident occurred, according to Orange County Fire and Rescue.

The property is located outside Orlando city limits in an unincorporated part of Orange County, Florida.

Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said there were about 18 workers at the site when the support structure gave away around 4:15 a.m.

Jachles said the sheriff’s office and federal investigators are examining the cause of the accident.

Contributing: The Associated Press