Ontario to hold inquest into circumstances behind 2009 Metron scaffolding collapse that killed four in Toronto

TORONTO—A coroner’s inquest has been called into a Toronto scaffolding collapse that claimed the lives of four men almost nine years ago.

Fayzullo Fazilov, Alexsandrs Bondarevs, Vladimir Korostin and Aleksey Blumberg died when the swing stage they were on collapsed without warning on Christmas Eve 2009.

The men, who worked for Metron Construction, fell about 13 storeys. Another worker was badly injured and a sixth, who was tethered as required under provincial law and by industry practice, was left dangling in mid-air but unhurt.

The project manager, Vadim Kazenelson, managed to hold on to a balcony when the scaffolding gave way.

He was later convicted of four counts of criminal negligence causing death and one of causing bodily harm after a judge found he was aware that protections against falls were not in place.

Kazenelson was sentenced to 3 1/2 years behind bars and lost his appeal earlier this year.

A date for the start of the inquest, which will examine the circumstances surrounding the four men’s deaths, has not yet been set.