LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Emergency responders in Kentucky’s most populous city were engaged in a rescue operation Thursday afternoon for an individual who became trapped beneath debris at a construction site located close to downtown.

According to officials from the Louisville Fire Department, the incident involved a construction worker who fell into a gap, resulting in additional materials collapsing on him just before noon. Fire Chief Brian O’Neill confirmed that the worker was in communication with rescuers but unable to move. The individual was reported to be lying approximately 10 to 12 feet (around 3 to 3.7 meters) below the surface.

At the time of the incident, six other workers were present at the site, which involves the demolition of an old corrections facility to make space for a new medical campus. Chief O’Neill noted that firefighters arrived on the scene within three minutes and commenced a trench rescue operation. Efforts were focused on removing debris surrounding the man’s arms and chest to facilitate medical intervention.

The fire chief emphasized that the rescue might take several hours, describing the process as exceedingly gradual. “This is a very, very slow process,” he stated, highlighting the challenges involved in the operation.

Adding to the community’s distress, just a few days prior, a manufacturing facility several miles away experienced an explosion that resulted in the fatalities of two workers and extensive damage to numerous residential properties nearby. The investigation into the cause of the explosion remains ongoing.