Indian worker loses leg in Israel construction accident

An Indian worker has lost his left leg in an accident at a construction site in Jerusalem after tiles being lifted by a crane fell on him.

Sharwan Kumar Warma, 36, from Rajasthan, lost his left leg in the accident last Wednesday and is being treated at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem.

Warma’s colleagues from India told PTI that his “leg was severed from his body at the construction site itself, the very moment tiles fell on him from a crane whose belt got torn midway in the air”.  “He received emergency treatment at the site and was then transferred to the hospital in an unconscious state,” one of them said.

He was initially admitted to the neurosurgery department but was transferred to a general ward on Tuesday after “starting to respond and speak somewhat”, his colleagues said.

An executive at the company where Warma works said that he is “fully covered through insurance” and that the company is also involving Bituach Leumi (National Insurance) “so that he can get the best possible care”.

The incident has raised concerns among Indian workers over workplace safety and compensation in case of workplace accidents.

The Indian embassy in Israel sent officials to check on the worker at the hospital. “The embassy is in touch with concerned officials to make sure that the worker is looked after properly,” the mission said.

Meanwhile, ambassadors and representatives from the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Singapore, Vietnam and Nepal met at the Philippine Embassy on Tuesday to discuss issues affecting foreign workers in Israel.

The group emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to address issues including safety and security, compensation, emergency re-entry visas and workplace accidents, as well as other concerns affecting the well-being and protection of foreign workers in Israel.

There are more than 40,000 Indian workers in Israel, with several thousand more expected to join them as the country faces an acute labour shortage.