FOG BLOG SAINT JOHN LOG: EXCAVATOR FALLS THROUGH FLOOR OF BUILDING BEING TORN DOWN ON WATER ST.

Worker suffers minor injuries after excavator falls through Saint John building.......WorkSafeNB considers the incident a 'catastrophic event' and wants to know how it happened.......A worker made his way out of a demolished building with minor injuries after his excavator fell through the roof.

A video posted on social media shows an excavator working on top of 222 Water St. in Saint John's south end when it broke through the roof and fell on its side.

At around 1:30 p.m. Monday, Saint John police closed Prince William, Water and Duke streets as officers went to the scene.

Force spokesperson Jim Hennessy said the person operating the equipment made it out on his own "with only minor injuries."

Beverly Stears, WorkSafeNB spokesperson, said this is what the organization calls "a catastrophic event."

"This is a serious incident," she said. "It could have resulted in serious injury or death."

"We investigate all catastrophic events and incidents resulting in serious injury or fatality to understand the root cause to help prevent similar occurrences."

Stears said WorkSafe issued a stop work order and has a geotechnical engineer and a structural engineer working on the investigation.