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

STERLING, Mass. (AP) — A worker was killed 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 site in Massachusetts.

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

The worker was pronounced dead at 8:39 a.m. The worker’s identity was not immediately released.

The U.S. Department of Labor Mine Safety and Health Administration is currently inspecting the site to determine the safety of moving forward with retrieval efforts at this time, local fire officials said.

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

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

Onyx Corporation, a demolition and excavation company that operates a quarry site on Chocksett Road, posted online that it has closed all locations from Thursday through the weekend, saying it will resume business on Monday.

A man reached at a business number associated with the quarry said “I have nothing at this time,” when contacted by The Associated Press.

An email seeking information was sent to the company.

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

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

The company posted in January that it transforms hunks of rocks into aggregate materials that are used for roads, drainage, retaining walls, and other infrastructure.