One worker was killed and two more were injured at a Raleigh construction site Tuesday morning.
A wall collapsed near Triangle Town Center shopping mall in north Raleigh, burying three workers. Co-workers were able to dig out two of the workers to save their lives. Authorities have not released the identities of any of the victims.
The Department of Labor says it's investigating the incident. Department Information Officer Mary Katherine Revels says a typical investigation could take about four months.
"During that investigation, NCDOL will collect physical evidence, including photographs, and witness statements and the purpose of the investigation is to determine if any safety and health violations were the cause of the accident," she said.
The two injured workers were taken to Wake Medical Center in Raleigh for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, but information about their conditions wasn't known Tuesday afternoon.
Workplace deaths in North Carolina increased in 2016 and 2017, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data for 2018 were not yet available.