Construction worker dies after plunging 55 floors from Toronto building

A man is dead after falling from a a building at a construction site, Friday, Aug. 23, 2013.

TORONTO -- The Toronto fire department says a construction worker has died after plunging 55 floors off a downtown building.

Capt. Mike Strapko says the man was on the 70th floor of a building (at 388 Yonge Street) when he fell around noon, dropping 181 metres before landing on the 15th floor rooftop of an adjacent building.

Strapko says the man was found about 24 metres away from the under-construction condo building.

Paramedic spokeswoman Kim McKinnon says the man was declared dead at the scene.

Ministry of Labour spokesman William Lin says an inspector and an engineer have been sent to the site.

Site operator Reliance Construction said in a statement Friday evening that the worker was an employee of an onsite contractor, and it is co-operating fully investigations into the death.