Trench collapses at construction site, trapping, killing worker

A construction worker in San Francisco died Thursday after a trench collapsed under a sidewalk on him, trapping him under an estimated eight to ten feet of dirt and concrete, fire officials said.

More than 50 firefighters spent over two hours trying to rescue the buried worker in the Lower Haight neighborhood, but he did not survive, San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Jonathan Baxter confirmed.

“Unfortunately, two hours into this incident, we are naming this a fatal incident,” Baxter told the press on Thursday. “After being evaluated by our paramedics and department physician, again, unfortunately, the individual did not survive the injuries associated to this.”

Baxter said the construction site will be turned over to the “proper investigating authorities” to determine what happened. The fire department is expected to remain at the construction site for an undisclosed amount of time to ensure the safety.

The construction site sits in the Lower Haight neighborhood in the area of Oak and Divisadero streets. Baxter said the area is a “heavily traversed corridor,” and asked the public to avoid the area.

The rescue has a lot of requirements to ensure the safety of the victim and the firefighters and rescue workers on site, he said.

The fire department later posted online that they had reached the victim and their rescue mission has turned into a recovery. The department said that residents in the area might experience temporary interruptions of utility services.