Photo: PA Images
A worker was crushed to death by a retractable urinal on Friday (January 27). The urinals have been installed across London's entertainment districts and are stored below ground during the day. At night, they are raised above the ground, giving people a place to use the restroom so they do not have to urinate on the streets.
The worker was reportedly performing maintenance on one of the telescopic urinals at Cambridge Circus in central London when he became trapped. First responders rushed to the scene and used a winch to free the man, who has not been identified. Unfortunately, they were unable to save him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
"The man is thought to have sustained crush injuries while working on a telescopic urinal at the location."
Officials did not say how the worker became trapped. Roads remained cordoned off as investigators try to determine what happened.
The incident occurred near the Palace Theatre, which is currently showing Harry Potter. The theater told Daily Mail that it is monitoring the situation and may cancel Friday night's performance due to the ongoing police activity.
"It is an ongoing situation. We will try and give as much notice as possible," a spokesperson for the theater said.