A worker dies after an excavator is buried under rocks at a Massachusetts quarry

A worker was killed last Thursday morning after a portion of a rock ledge collapsed onto an excavator with the worker inside, burying it under rocks and boulders at a quarry in Massachusetts.

Firefighters and other rescue agencies responded to the scene. Crews used camera equipment to assess the crash site and found no signs of life, according to firefighters in Sterling, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Boston.

The worker was pronounced dead at 8:39 am. The identity of the worker was not immediately released.

The US Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration is currently inspecting the site to determine whether it is safe to continue recovery efforts at this time, local fire officials said.

The Sterling Fire Department posted online that it and other agencies were working at the scene near Chocksett Road, where the quarry was located.

“Please avoid the area. There is no threat to public safety,” the department said.

Onyx Corporation, a demolition and excavation company that operates a quarry on Chocksett Road, posted online that it had closed all locations Thursday through the weekend, saying it would resume operations Monday.

Months later, the company issued a statement saying “our hearts go out to the family of our longtime employee and friend who died in a tragic accident this morning at our Sterling Sand and Gravel Pit.”

“He was driving an excavator into the safety zone of a 100-foot face when the wall collapsed; we are not releasing his name pending notification of next of kin,” the statement continued.

The company said the Mine Safety and Health Administration was at the facility as early as Tuesday for an inspection requested by the company due to expanding operations.

In February 2018, Onyx announced its new quarry location on Chocksett Road.

“Whether you’re a small landscaper or a heavy duty civil contractor, we have the locations and expertise to provide all your sand or aggregate needs,” the company posted online at the time.

The company posted in January that it turns chunks of rock into aggregate materials that are used for roads, drainage, retaining walls and other infrastructure.

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