Five men have died after an accident at a recycling site in Nechells, Birmingham.
West Midlands Police confirmed that five men died in the incident at the site in Nechells this morning.
Officers were called by West Midlands Ambulance Service at 8.45am to Hawkeswood Metal in Aston Church Road to reports that a wall had collapsed.
Sky News reported that a sixth man was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries.
Detective Superintendent Mark Payne, from Force CID, said: “We are still in the very early stages of this investigation to determine exactly what happened this morning.
“Sadly five people have lost their lives and we have several teams of specialist officers supporting their families at this time.
“This has been a very traumatic incident for those who were at the site this morning and we will continue to work alongside the HSE and the other emergency services at the scene.”
An investigation in the circumstances surrounding the incident is now underway.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been notified and are assisting officers at the scene.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Gary Taylor, of West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS), said: “This is a devastating incident is for everyone involved. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the victims’ families and colleagues.
“Once the police have finished their initial examination of the scene, our absolute priority will be to ensure that the bodies of those who have lost their lives are recovered in the most timely and safe way possible, and with the utmost dignity and respect.
“The scene is an extremely challenging one, involving significant tonnage of concrete and metal and a structure that is still unstable. We have an assertive recovery plan in place and expect this operation to take several hours.
“The skills and services of West Midlands Fire Service will be available for whatever needs to be done, and we will be working hand in glove with our partners at the scene.”