Construction Worker Killed in DC Trench Collapse

A construction worker has died after he was trapped in a trench on a job site in D.C. Tuesday morning, officials say.

Crews worked for hours to free the man after the trench collapsed Tuesday morning. D.C. Fire and EMS announced Tuesday afternoon that the worker had died.

The name of the worker was not released immediately. 

Crews worked overnight Tuesday, into Wednesday, and finally were able to recover the victim's body, the fire department said Wednesday evening. 

The trench collapsed at a construction site on the 4600 block of Dexter Street NW, off Foxhall Road.

The man was trapped "up to his waist, and shoulder on one side," Deputy Chief John Donnelly told News4's Pat Collins Tuesday morning.

The worker was trapped when part of the foundation of the house he was working on collapsed, Donnelly said. The cause of the collapse was not immediately known.

For every foot that someone is trapped, it generally takes about an hour to free him or her, Donnelly said. The trench was very unstable, the fire department said on Twitter Tuesday morning. 

Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story.

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