Fatal excavation failure under investigation in Bushwick

A trench collapse at a construction site in Bushwick, Brooklyn, left one worker dead and another critically injured Thursday morning, according to police and city officials.

Emergency crews responded around 8:30 a.m. to 174 Jefferson Street, where two workers had become trapped after part of a foundation trench failed. The site involved a two-story dwelling under an active permit for foundation work intended to expand the structure vertically.

Inspectors from the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) reported that a portion of the rubble foundation collapsed, trapping the workers inside the excavation. Fire Department of New York (FDNY) units rescued both individuals and transported them to a hospital.

Police confirmed that a 47-year-old worker was pronounced dead. A 40-year-old worker remains in critical condition.

The DOB issued a full stop-work order at the site following the incident. Officials stated that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened a separate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse.

Authorities have not yet determined the exact cause of the trench failure. The incident remains under investigation by city agencies.