These telescopic urinals are used at night in the Soho area of central London, which is home to many theatres, bars and restaurants.
A technician working on a telescopic urinal that can retract and retract fully into the ground when not in use died after being crushed by the device in the heart of London on Friday, police report.
“Despite the best efforts of emergency services,” the man “was pronounced dead at the scene,” police said, adding that a security chain remained in place.
Three hours intervention
Firefighters said the man was trapped by the device below street level at Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road while he was carrying out maintenance work there. His hydraulic system would have shut down if he had put the toilets in “night” mode to carry out his repair or inspection job.
Indeed, these urinals are used in the evenings in this lively and festive area of central London, which is full of theatres, bars and restaurants. They are hidden underground during the day and deployed at nightfall.
Quickly alerted, London Fire Brigade dispatched four lorries and 25 people to try to free this man. A winch was also used to free it. According to the BBC, rescue teams were dispatched to the scene at 1pm and the victim’s body was not brought out until three hours later.