EDWARDSVILLE, Illinois — The bodies of two workers have been recovered after they were found dead Friday evening in a manhole at a residential job site.
The city of Edwardsville said in a press release that officers were called to the 100 block of East Union Street shortly before 7 p.m. and found the two men. It's believed the workers had entered the manhole sometime in the late afternoon.
Fire Chief James Whiteford said the atmosphere where the men were found had very little oxygen and a buildup of toxic gasses, which is common in confined underground spaces.
The men were unresponsive and first responders attempted to rescue them, but once they were confirmed dead, it transitioned to a recovery effort.
An Edwardsville officer who was one of the first on the scene was taken to a hospital for an evaluation and later released.
Eighteen fire personnel from Edwardsville and other agencies were involved in the rescue attempt. Thirteen of them are members of the Madison County Emergency Management Agency's Technical Rescue Team. The recovery required more advanced breathing equipment due to the conditions in the manhole, Whiteford said.
Their names and an official cause of death have not been released.
"We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the men who died," the police department wrote.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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