Boy, 9, killed after being struck by steel in Hamilton

A nine-year-old boy is deadafter he was struck by a falling piece of steelin Hamiltonon Sunday afternoon.

Hamilton EMS platoon chief Jim Summers told CBC News that the incident happened on Imperial St., near Sherman Avenue North and Burlington Street East.

Paramedics reached the scene, a buildinglocated in a complex of factories and warehouses, at 1:45 p.m.

Summers said that a piece of steel fell on the boy and crushed his head.

The boys father was with him at the time of the incident. It is not immediately clear why they were in the building where the incident occurred.

The boy was taken to Hamilton General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hamilton police say the boy's death is being investigated by both the coroner and the provincial Ministry of Labour.

Ive never seen policerush out of their cars as fast as they were doing,so I knew right away that there was something going on.Paul Penn, area resident

Paul Penn, who lives in an apartment over a storefront near the industrial complex, was outside his home at the time of the accident. He said he heard a bang, but initially didnt really think anything of it.

That changed when he heard first responders rushing to the scene. Theywere met by a woman who was screaming and crying, Penn said.

Ive never seen policerush out of their cars as fast as they were doing,so I knew right away that there was something going on.

News of the accident has frightened Penns two sons, who are six and nine years old.

They were both scared out of their minds when they heard, he said. Now theyre scared to come out here by themselves.