RENTON, Wash. — One person was killed after a trench collapsed at a work site in Renton on Wednesday afternoon.
The collapse occurred at NE 38th Street and Lincoln Avenue NE, according to Renton Regional Fire Authority.
The collapse occurred just before 1 p.m., according to Pat Pawlak, a spokesperson for the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.
It took fire crews almost eight hours to safely remove the victim's body. Fire crews installed shoring to prevent further collapse.
The victim's body was removed around 8:40 p.m.
The victim was reportedly covered by about 10 feet of dirt.
When firefighters first arrived on the scene, the victim was partially uncovered and did not have a pulse, Pawlak said.
Fire officials said there was a trench box, which is a steel box to protect workers, but there were some areas not protected by the trench box.
The trench is about 20 feet deep.
The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries will investigate the protections that were in place and what lead to the trench collapse.
The contractor on the site is AAA Contractors. The company declined to comment on the victim's death.
Drew Woodruff, a trench safety expert with DP Nicoli, a company that specializes in safety equipment, said the number of trench deaths are up so far this year compared to last year.
"It only takes a second for something bad to happen," Woodruff said.
Woodruff said even a small amount of dirt collapse is dangerous.
Renton Fire, Puget Sound Fire, Tukwila Fire and King County Medic One responded to the scene.
The victim's identity has not been released.