Two construction workers in Boston died on Wednesday in what police and the city’s mayor describe as a “tragic incident.”
The men were found in a hole on a construction site in downtown Boston after emergency responders received a report of two pedestrians hit by a truck around 8 a.m., authorities said. According to the police, both victims were declared dead on the spot.
“My heart is heavy as we send our thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones mourning their loss after this morning’s tragic incident,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement. tweet“I am heartbroken that two hard-working people were killed so suddenly and tragically this morning, and we will work tirelessly to understand how this happened so that we can create safer conditions in the future.”
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Boston Fire Commissioner John Dempsey said a truck had to be moved before emergency responders could be lowered into the hole to assess the workers’ conditions. Once in the hole itself, the effort shifted from a rescue mission to a recovery mission, he added.
Whether the men were punched in the hole after they were hit or were working in the hole at the time is still under investigation, said Boston Police Commissioner Gregory Long.
The Suffolk District Attorney’s Office is leading the investigation to determine if a crime has occurred, with assistance from city police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Attorney Rachael Rollins added.
“It’s a very sad, sad incident on what started as a beautiful day today,” Walsh told reporters on Wednesday.
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Walsh also tweeted that the city has “immediately suspended the only other Atlantic Coast Utilities permitted workplace in Boston.”
“Until a thorough investigation is completed, the company is not allowed to carry out any work in the city,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.