Worker killed in Kearny Ave. fall

KEARNY –

A 61-year-old Russian emigre, doing repair work on a Kearny building, died Oct. 19 after falling from the roof, Kearny police reported.

The victim, Mikhail Korban, suffered “massive head injuries” in the accident, which was reported at 4:50 p.m. on the 700 block of Kearny Ave. Korban had climbed a ladder to the roof and was working there when the accident occurred. He reportedly tumbled only 12 to 15 feet, but his injuries were traumatic.

KPD Officer Adriano Marques responded to the scene and summoned medical assistance. Korban was taken by ambulance to University Hospital in Newark, where he died, police said.

Police said a second worker had been inside the building and heard the crash when Korban fell, but the exact cause of the accident was not known.

Cars stopped on the avenue, and drivers and passersby stopped to offer aid.

Kearny Police Chief John Dowie said the department had to reach out to the Russian Embassy in New York for assistance in notifying the victim’s next-of-kin. Korban is believed to have resided in New York. An obituary in The Observer notes that Korban is survived by his mother and family in Russia.

– Karen Zautyk

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