Nocturnal 
Police have named the two men who died following a workplace incident on the Ballygowan Road in Crossnacreevy, Co Down, on Friday.
They have been confirmed as 23-year-old Joseph Hobbs, from the Comber area, and 38-year-old Mark Glover, from Ballygowan, as first reported by the Irish News. Officers named the pair on Saturday, a day after emergency services were called to the scene.
What happened on the Ballygowan Road
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it received a 999 call at around 10:45 BST on Friday following reports of an incident in the Crossnacreevy area. Three emergency ambulances and two Hazardous Area Response Teams were sent to the scene, along with fire crews from several stations and specialist rescue teams, according to Belfast Live.
Belfast Live reported that two people had become trapped in a trench in the area, and the Daily Star described it as a trench collapse, though this detail has not been confirmed by police. The Ballygowan Road was closed while emergency services worked at the scene, with Translink diverting Ulsterbus services and police urging drivers to find alternative routes.
Despite medical treatment at the scene, both men were pronounced dead, the Irish News reported.
Investigation under way
A PSNI spokesperson said the deaths “are not being treated as suspicious at this time”, adding that officers’ “sympathies remain with all those affected by this tragic incident”. Police said they continue to work closely with the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) as enquiries into the circumstances continue.
HSENI confirmed its inspectors were on site “making enquiries into the circumstances” and said it was liaising with emergency services and other agencies, according to the BBC.
The incident drew a quick response from local politicians. DUP leader Gavin Robinson said his “thoughts are with their families and loved ones at this devastating time and with the emergency services responding to the incident”. Alliance MLA Peter McReynolds called it “an absolutely heartbreaking incident”, while Ulster Unionist representative Dr Kathryn Owen described Crossnacreevy as a “close knit community” that would be left in “shock and sadness”.
Dr Owen also urged people not to speculate about what happened while the investigation is ongoing, saying: “Out of respect for the families, we should allow the authorities to carry out their work and establish the facts.”
Where things stand now
The exact cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed by police or HSENI, and enquiries are continuing. No further details about the nature of the workplace or the men’s roles there have been released. Nocturnal News will update this story as more information becomes available.
