May 19, 2013
A Local 8 Weather Alert has been issued for today. Because of the threat of rain, thunder and even hail, outdoor activities may be disrupted or inconvenienced. What's going on? An upper-level low will be moving across East Tennessee today, creating a more unstable atmosphere.
Galtinburg Wastewater Treatment Plant 02242012
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WVLT) -- One man is dead after an accident at the Gatlinburg Wastewater Treatment plant.
A city spokesman says the fire department got the call just after 10 this morning. When Gatlinburg Police Department got to the plant they determined a ditch collapsed on a worker.
Dirt and rock fell on the man, killing him. Members of the Gatlinburg Fire Department pulled him from the area and rushed him to LeConte Medical Center.
They're not releasing the identity of the man until the next of kin is notified.
The following is a statement released by the city of Gatlinburg:
“The City of Gatlinburg is deeply saddened by the tragic event which occurred today. The City wishes to expresses its sympathy to the family of the construction company worker. We regret that this event has occurred and recognize the tragedy of the situation.
“The demolition site has been under the control of NEO Corporation since early January when demolition of the EQ basin began. Questions concerning the details of this incident are referred to NEO for further response.”
This is the same plant where two plant workers died ten months ago.
John Eslinger and Don Storey died when a wall collapsed spilling more than a million gallons of raw sewage into the Little Pigeon River.
Local 8 News has a crew on the scene and will have updates on Local 8 News, as well as on volunteertv.com as they come in.
