Man crushed to death by a Rota heavy machine

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 29 April 2025 – A man was crushed to death when the heavy loader rota machine he was operating failed to stop and rolled downhill crushing him.

The incident happened at the Alaoa Dam at Vailima in the weekend.

The deceased is an employee of a private contractor used by the Samoa Water Authority to do the heavy work.

A senior SWA worker said they were not sure why the deceased drove the machine up a steep road at Alaoa and were shocked to witness the scene unfolding before them

He said the machine started to move downhill gaining speed, then it flipped over, and the deceased was pinned underneath the heavy machine. He died on the spot.

Police are investigating the incident.