Editor’s Note Update: Earlier reports that a scaffold collapse caused the deaths of three workers at the Port Arthur LNG construction site in Texas have now been clarified. It has been confirmed that the tragic incident involved a tank jump form system, not scaffolding.
Initial media coverage had described the structure involved as “scaffolding,” but industry sources and contractor Bechtel have since clarified that the incident involved a “tank jump form system”, a type of self-climbing formwork used for large concrete builds.
Three workers have died following a tank jump form system collapse at a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal under construction in Port Arthur, Texas.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the site of Sempra’s Port Arthur LNG export facility, approximately 90 miles east of Houston.
According to authorities, the tank jump form system gave way around 2:00 am local time while workers were operating near the top of a concrete LNG containment tank. Three men fell several storeys and suffered fatal injuries.
Two additional workers were injured and temporarily stranded but have since been treated and released from hospital.
Local media have identified the deceased as Felipe Mendez, 25; Felix Lopez, 42; and Dontrell Magee, 41. Magee was reportedly alive when emergency responders arrived but died later in hospital, according to Jefferson County officials.
The prime contractor for the site, engineering giant Bechtel, has suspended all operations at the facility while it conducts an internal review. In a statement, the company described the event as a “tank jump form system incident” and said it was cooperating fully with investigating authorities.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of our colleagues,” the statement read. “We have paused work at the site and are focusing on supporting the families and our workforce.”
Images from the scene show a partial section of the circular tank jump form system still hanging from the containment structure, indicating a failure along one side.
Construction on the $13 billion Port Arthur LNG terminal began in 2023. The project is set to be one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., with Phase 1 expected to include two liquefaction trains and an annual export capacity of 13 million tonnes.
The facility is strategically located on the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel, near Golden Pass and Sabine Pass LNG terminals.
Port Arthur LNG’s output is fully contracted under long-term agreements with energy companies, including ConocoPhillips, RWE, PKN Orlen, INEOS, and Engie. Completion of the first phase is projected for 2027 or 2028, with thousands of workers currently involved in its construction
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is expected to launch a formal investigation into the collapse.
