Bodies of 2 men recovered following trench collapse in Jarrell

The bodies of two men who died in the collapse of a sewer line trench in Jarrell on Tuesday were recovered early Wednesday morning, officials said.

Their identities are not yet being released because some of their relatives live out of the country. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Williamson County sheriff's office are investigating the cause of the accident.

The body of the first man was located at 4:10 a.m., said Mark McAdams, chief officer with Emergency Services District #5, also known as the Jarrell Fire Department. 

The body of the second man was located at 7:18 a.m., McAdams said at a news conference on Wednesday in Jarrell. The trench was more than 20 feet deep and 2 feet wide.

The recovery of the bodies in the 13700 block of Interstate 35 North took 16 hours due to the depth of the trench and the soil, said McAdams. He said he didn't know if weather was a factor in the incident. It had rained in Central Texas the day before the trench collapse. 

Rescuers had to use machinery to create terraces in the soil to remove the dirt before specially trained teams from several fire departments could begin digging to reach the bodies, McAdams said.

A foreman and an excavator witnessed the trench collapse, said Nick Spinetto, a spokesman for the city of Jarrell. The two men who died were digging a sewer line for a housing project. 

The sheriff's office will release the names of the victims after all relatives are notified, officials said.

The victims had attended schools in the Jarrell school district, officials said.

"Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the families and all of those involved with this incident," said McAdams.

The school district opened a center for the families of the victims as well as first responders on Tuesday to provide food and aid, said Jarrell school district Superintendent Toni Hicks at the news conference.

"We are a small town with a big heart," said Hicks.

From Tuesday: 

Two men have died in a collapsed trench in Jarrell, officials said Tuesday.

Their bodies had not been recovered as of Tuesday afternoon but are trapped in a 2-foot wide space more than 20 feet deep, according to a Williamson County news release.

READ: One dead near Manor after fall from construction site

The workers have not yet been identified. They were digging a trench for a sewer line in the 13700 block of Interstate 35 North when the incident happened, said Nick Spinetto, a spokesman for the city of Jarrell. 

Emergency crews received a call at 8:39 a.m. Tuesday about the incident, the release said. It said the crews asked for help from technical rescue teams from Georgetown, Round Rock and the Austin fire departments. The Williamson County sheriff's office is also assisting with recovery efforts. 

The construction project is not a county project, officials said.