Man dies after fall into trench at central Indiana work site

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A 54-year-old man died after he fell into a newly excavated trench and was buried beneath mud and debris at a suburban Indianapolis construction site, authorities said.

Workers with HIS Contractors Inc. told first responders the man was standing on the edge of a trench that was six feet (1.8 meters) wide and 40 feet (12.2 meters) long Sunday afternoon when the ground gave way.

The man fell in and mud and debris then fell on top of him, fire officials said. The workers tried to jump into the trench to aid the man but the soil was unstable and they had to get out, officials said.

Crews from the Indianapolis Fire Department found the man's body about 19 feet (5.8 meters) down in the trench Sunday some two hours after the incident. Fire officials said compact clay soil, along with underground water, made their search difficult.

It took crews an additional two hours to extricate the man's body from the trench at the construction site at Commerce Park, just southeast of Indianapolis.

The man's name has not been released, pending notification of relatives, officials said.

The man who died had been supervising the Commerce Park construction project since last September and had worked for HIS Contractors, Inc. for 15 years, Indianapolis fire officials said.