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NORTH CAROLINA

3 die, 1 hurt when part of scaffold falls

Workers were dismantling a scaffold at a construction project in Raleigh when a piece of it fell to the ground, killing three construction workers and seriously injuring a fourth. Dozens of other workers were evacuated.

The accident happened around 11 a.m. as a subcontractor, Associated Scaffolding, dismantled the scaffold on the exterior of the 11-story building called Charter Square, said Mike Hampton, chief operating officer for the general contractor, Choate Construction Co. The equipment known as a mast climber scaffold rises up and down to take workers to different floors. "We are finished using it. They actually were dismantling that piece when it happened," Hampton said. Choate issued a statement saying the company is "deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries." State Department of Labor spokesman Neal O'Briant said his agency is investigating. - AP