(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) A British man died over the weekend, getting crushed by a public urinal in London, Fox News reported.
London’s hydraulic urinals, sometimes called telescopic urinals, were installed approximately 20 years ago around the city of London to reduce public urination. The urinals sink into the ground during the day and rise up at night.
The man who was crushed was working on the urinal from beneath when it lowered down on top of him.
According to Metropolitan police, an emergency team rushed to the scene but was unable to save the man from being crushed. After a two-hour effort, the man was released, but he was pronounced dead soon after.
“We’re sorry to have to update that, despite the efforts of emergency services, the man who was critically injured in Cambridge Circus was pronounced dead at the scene,” they said in a statement.
“His next of kin have been informed. Cordons remain in place at the location.”
Several fire departments and over two dozen firefighters were also on the scene attempting to rescue the man.
“Firefighters were called to a person trapped on Charing Cross Road in central London,” a city official noted. “A man was trapped below street level underneath a hydraulic urinal. Firefighters worked with partner agencies and used a winch to free him.”
The Westminster City Council–which called for the creation of the telescopic urinals two decades ago–also issued a statement expressing regret and sympathy.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the friends and family of the worker who tragically died earlier today at this site in the West End,” they wrote.
“We have been on site supporting our contractor and the emergency services and will assist all investigations in any way we can.”
