A 54-year-old man from Blankenberge died on Tuesday afternoon in the port of Zeebrugge following a work-related accident, confirmed the Labour Auditor’s Office in Ghent on Wednesday.
The dock worker, serving as a signalman aboard a ship, became trapped during loading operations between a stack of containers and the ship’s wall.
An investigation is underway, with the maritime police having conducted witness interviews and secured video footage from the scene. A forensic doctor has been appointed, and a workplace safety inspector has visited the site for a detailed examination of the circumstances.
Initial findings suggest that a tractor vehicle collided with a stack of containers on the ship, causing them to shift and pin the signalman against the vessel’s hull.
Further investigation is required to determine the exact sequence of events and assess whether safety procedures were adhered to during the operation.
