2 workers believed dead after construction trench collapses in St. Paul

Two construction workers are believed to have been killed Friday afternoon when a construction trench collapsed in St. Paul. 

The city’s fire department says the collapse happened around 3 p.m. in a construction zone near the Mississippi River in the Highland Park neighborhood. 

Construction workers attempted to rescue their fellow workers before calling 911. Fire crews responded to the scene and secured the trench before working to remove the dirt and rock.

The two workers inside the trench are believed to have been killed under the weight of the debris. The fire department is calling this a recovery mission. 

“We feel horrible for the victims when anything like this happens,” said Assistant Fire Chief Matt Simpson. “We train for this every single day. We work to make sure this kind of thing, that if it can be avoided, it is avoided through our training efforts. Unfortunately, time was not on our side to make that difference today.”