Beijing has unveiled its National Aquatics Centre for the 2008 Olympics, as officials admitted that six people had died in construction work for the August Games.
Officials said that no workers had died building the high-tech swimming venue, better known as the Water Cube, completed at a reported cost of $200 million, but said two had been killed at the nearby National Stadium, dubbed the Bird's Nest, and four at other venues.
"During the past five years of construction on Olympic venues, there were six fatalities," Ding Zhenkuan, deputy head of Beijing's bureau of work safety, said.
Ding was responding to a report last week in Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that more than 10 workers had died in accidents during a rush to complete the 90,000-seat National Stadium.
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"During the past five years of construction on Olympic venues, there were six fatalities."
Ding Zhenkuan |
Until now Chinese officials have never admitted to a single death on any of the dozens of Olympic construction sites.
Yi Zhun, general manager for the builders of the Water Cube, said no workers had died while building the swimming venue which was unveiled at a ceremony attended by top city officials.
The box-like structure with three pools below ground level is made up of a steel skeleton covered in a Teflon-like plastic membrane that resembles bubbling water and gives the venue its name.
Good for the environment
The eco-friendly structure's translucent shell allows in natural sunlight, providing heat and brightness, cutting energy use by up to 30 per cent, according to the Beijing Olympic organising committee.
The 17,000-seat venue will host swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo during the Games from August 8 to 24, with 42 gold medals to be awarded there.
Olympic organisers have built or refurbished 37 venues, 31 of them in Beijing, which will stage the 28 sports during the Games.
More than half the Beijing venues, including the Water Cube, are concentrated in one small area in the north of the city known as the Olympic Green.
Four other cities will host the football tournament, yachting will take place in the Yellow Sea port city of Qingdao and Hong Kong is to stage the equestrian events.