KEY POINTS:
Labour Department occupational safety and health inspectors are investigating an incident near Ashburton that left a man dead and another seriously injured.
Tomasi Poate, 45, of Ashburton, was killed and his colleague suffered serious back injuries when a power pole they were working on fell on them on a private property at Hinds, 19km southwest of Ashburton about 2pm yesterday.
Mr Poate died at the scene and his colleague, also aged 45, was flown to Christchurch Hospital.
Electricity Ashburton general manager Gordon Guthrie told NZPA the injured worker, whose name hasn't been released, was reported to be recovering well in hospital today with bone fractures.
He confirmed a power pole the men were working on had collapsed underneath them.
Mr Guthrie said Mr Poate was a Fijian national who joined Electricity Ashburton late last year and was intending to bring his family to New Zealand as soon as he could.
"Of course our thoughts and sympathy are with the family," Mr Guthrie said.
"We are supporting them with issues involved in getting Mr Poate's body back to Fiji."
Mr Guthrie said Electricity Ashburton would co-operate fully with the Labour Department investigation.
"We also have our own independent in-house investigation looking at all possible contributing factors," he said.
Ashburton police are preparing a report for a coroner's inquest.
- NZPA
