2 dead in S.F. granite accident

1525 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 1525 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 2 dead in S.F. granite accident 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

(02-07) 13:52 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- Two men were killed in an industrial accident at a granite company facility in San Francisco Friday morning, authorities said.

City fire crews responding to a call around 10:15 a.m. at Galaxy Granite Inc. at 1525 Cortland Ave. found two men trapped after at least one large slab of granite fell on them as they unloaded a container truck, San Francisco Fire Department officials said.

Meng Peng, the owner of Galaxy Granite, was in the container when the accident occurred. He said one of the victims insisted he could handle a slab on his own just before the load toppled over, trapping the men.

It took a few minutes for responding firefighters to extricate the men, Battalion Chief Jack Cremen said. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Neither of the victim's identities were immediately released, but a spokesman for Cal/OSHA, the state's workplace safety regulator, said both were factory workers in their mid-40s employed by Galaxy Granite.

Peng said he had grown close with the men and that they were among his best workers. "It's breaking my heart," he said. "They were like my brothers."

Cal/OSHA opened an investigation into the accident, which is expected to be completed within six months. Galaxy Granite, which has been in business since 1999, has no history of workplace safety violations, said agency spokesman Greg Siggins.