Ten-foot trench collapses on Belmullet worker

INVESTIGATION The scene of the accident at American Street, Belmullet, last night.

Anton McNulty

A CONSTRUCTION worker was airlifted to hospital suffering with serious injuries after part of a trench in which he was working collapsed on him in Belmullet.
The incident occurred around 2pm yesterday (Monday) afternoon when the male, in his 30s, was working on the pipeline for the Belmullet Sewerage Scheme at the bottom of American Street in the town.
It is understood that the worker was in the ten-foot-deep trench when part of the embankment came in on top of him. A machine is believed to have been operating in close proximity at the time of the incident. Nobody else was injured.
The casualty, who is understood to be from the Erris region, was airlifted to hospital by the army air ambulance service to University Hospital Galway.
The man suffered injuries to his chest and pelvic areas, and while his condition has been described as serious, The Mayo News understands his injuries are not considered to be life threatening.
Work was suspended following the accident, and the site has been preserved as inspectors from the Health Safety Authority visited to commence an investigation, which will be carried out with An Garda SíochΡna.
Work on the new €9 million Belmullet Sewerage Scheme has been ongoing since last July with Roadbridge and the EPS Group completing the operation on behalf of Irish Water.
The treatment plant is to be situated on a greenfield site on the Toorglass Road, where a new access road is to be constructed along with two new pumping stations on Sea Road and at the Quay. The new plant will cater for a population equivalent of 2,500 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Belmullet is currently on the EPA’s published list of 44 sites with no wastewater treatment facilities. At present, untreated effluent from the town flows into both Broadhaven Bay and Blacksod Bay, which are both Special Areas of Conservation and designated shellfish waters.