Two technicians die at U.S. research station in Antarctica

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS DECEMBER 12, 2018 / 8:01 PM / UPDATED 11 MINUTES AGO

Two technicians die at U.S. research station in Antarctica

(Reuters) - Two technicians performing maintenance at a U.S. research station in Antarctica died on Wednesday while working on a building that houses a generator for a nearby radio transmitter, the National Science Foundation (NSF) said.

The pair, both employed as subcontractors at the NSF-managed McMurdo Station in Antarctica, were found unconscious on the floor of the building after a helicopter pilot flying over the area saw what appeared to be smoke coming from the structure and landed to investigate.

One of the technicians was pronounced dead by medical personnel called to the scene. The other was pronounced dead a short time after being flown to the McMurdo medical clinic, the NSF said in a statement.

The two workers, described as fire technicians, were performing preventive maintenance on the building’s fire-suppression system before they were found, the agency said.

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