Two People Die in Workplace Incident at Crossnacreevy

Two people have died after a workplace incident in Crossnacreevy, on the south-eastern edge of Belfast, on Friday morning. Emergency services were called to the Ballygowan Road shortly before 11am, and inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) are making enquiries into what happened.

The two people who died have not been named. No details about them or their employer had been officially released when we checked in the early hours of Saturday.

At a glance

• Where: Ballygowan Road, Crossnacreevy
• When: 999 call received at 10.45am on Friday 2 October
• Response: three emergency ambulances, two Hazardous Area Response Teams, four fire appliances and two specialist rescue teams
• Investigation: HSENI inspectors on site, working with the emergency services
• Road: Ballygowan Road closed by police on Friday, with no reopening announced when we checked early on Saturday

The emergency response

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it received a 999 call at 10.45am. It sent three emergency ambulances and two Hazardous Area Response Teams. “No one was taken from the scene,” a spokesperson said.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters were called to “reports of a rescue incident” on the Ballygowan Road. Two appliances from Knock fire station attended, along with one each from Carryduff and Cadogan and two specialist rescue teams.

Police described it as a “workplace-related incident”. The PSNI closed the Ballygowan Road and advised drivers to take another route. On Friday, Translink said Ulsterbus 512/12 services would divert via Manse Road and Lisnabreeny Road, with the Crossnacreevy School, Roselawn and Ryan Park stops not served.

HSENI investigation

HSENI confirmed its inspectors were at the scene. “HSENI is aware of an incident at a workplace in the Crossnacreevy area and inspectors are on site making enquiries into the circumstances,” a spokesperson said. “We are currently liaising with the emergency services and other relevant agencies.”

Neither the PSNI nor HSENI has said how the incident happened. Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood said on Friday that two workers had been killed in a trench collapse, but that has not been confirmed in any official statement.

A close-knit community

DUP leader Gavin Robinson confirmed on Friday afternoon that two people had lost their lives. “My thoughts are with their families and loved ones at this devastating time and with the emergency services responding to the incident,” he said.

Alliance East Belfast MLA Peter McReynolds called it “an absolutely heartbreaking incident”. Ulster Unionist Dr Kathryn Owen described Crossnacreevy as “a close knit community” and asked people not to speculate. “Out of respect for the families, we should allow the authorities to carry out their work and establish the facts,” she said.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of the two people who died, and with the crews who responded. We will update this story when police or HSENI release more information.

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