Watch CBS News

Milpitas Site Where Carpenter Was Buried Alive Had No Permit

MILPITAS (CBS/AP) – California workplace safety officials said the builder of a 5,800-square-foot Milpitas home where a carpenter was buried alive under an avalanche of dirt did not have a proper permit.

Erika Monterroza of the California Occupation Health and Safety Administration said that state permits are needed to dig deeper than five feet.

Carpenter Raul Zapata died on Saturday when he was buried alive in a 12-foot trench at the worksite.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

The city issued a stop-work order three days before the accident due to concerns over a rain-soaked hillside yet Zapata and others worked anyway.

Milpitas chief building inspector Keyvan Irannejad said he has been unable to contact the project's general contractor, Richard Liu of U.S.-Sino Investment, who is in China.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.