One dead in California following trench collapse

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A construction worker is dead after being buried under roughly eight feet of dirt.

Emergency crews in San Francisco spent about two hours trying to rescue him after a trench collapsed on him, according to fire officials.

San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) Captain Jonathan Baxter said, "After two hours underneath a lot of debris with no oxygen, this became a fatal incident."

Officials say the worker was in the trench at the time of the collapse.

Crews used a large vacuum vehicle to try to dig through the dirt that buried him while shoring up the sides of the trench with plywood to stop it from caving in again.

The cause of collapse is under investigation. San Francisco Public Works said the victim was a contractor working on a city sewer upgrade project.