A construction worker died Thursday afternoon after becoming trapped when a tunnel beneath a building foundation collapsed at an apartment complex just outside Coppell, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue officials.
Emergency crews responded shortly after 3:30 p.m. to the Sage Hill Apartments in the 2200 block of Sage Hill Lane near Interstate 635 and MacArthur Boulevard.
According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, workers were manually digging a tunnel beneath the foundation of an apartment building as part of a concrete-pouring operation when the tunnel collapsed.
Officials said the collapse trapped a 29-year-old worker beneath the structure. The building itself remained standing following the incident, authorities said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue team responded to the scene alongside personnel from the Coppell Fire Department and other emergency agencies.
Rescuers entered the building, cut through the concrete floor, and removed approximately 3 feet of dirt to reach the trapped worker.
After reaching the victim, crews extricated him from the collapse site. He was pronounced dead upon recovery. The operation lasted several hours as emergency personnel worked through the unstable conditions beneath the structure.
The Coppell Fire Department assisted Dallas Fire-Rescue through a mutual-aid response that included an engine company and a medical unit. Dallas Fire-Rescue remained the lead agency overseeing the rescue operation.
Video from local news helicopters showed multiple emergency vehicles at the scene, including specialized trench-rescue equipment.
Representatives from the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were called to the site to investigate the fatal incident.
Authorities have not released the worker’s identity pending notification of next of kin.
Investigators are working to determine the circumstances that led to the collapse and whether any workplace safety violations contributed to the incident.
OSHA routinely investigates fatal workplace accidents to assess compliance with federal safety standards and determine whether corrective actions are necessary.
The investigation remains ongoing.
