CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A Japanese contractor at Kadena Air Base was killed on Wednesday after a trench he was working in collapsed, according to the Air Force.

The man and another worker were injured in the incident, and both were treated at the scene by air base emergency responders before being transported to a nearby Japanese hospital, the 18th Wing said in a released statement. The man, who was identified by Japanese media as Tsuyoshi Uema, 42, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The second man suffered only minor injuries.

The incident is under investigation by the Okinawa prefectural police, the wing said.

The contracting company who employed the two men had stopped work on the Air Force project Thursday and was reviewing safety protocols as required by the military, the 18th Wing public affairs office told Stars and Stripes.

“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident and we wish to express our sincerest sympathy to the families and friends of the contractor who lost his life today,” Brig. Gen. Matt Molloy, 18th Wing commander, said in a prepared statement.

From staff reports

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