Cape Town – Two men died after a trench collapsed at a construction site in Kommetjie Road in Fish Hoek on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, an emergency call was made to the Western Cape health department's Emergency Medical Services when three men were trapped in the trench while laying storm pipes.

"Two adult males have died and another was airlifted to Groote Schuur Hospital in a critical condition," said Emergency Medical and Forensic Pathology Services spokesperson Robert Daniels.

Cape Medical Response assisted with the extrication and treatment of the three men.

The Kommetjie Road Project has been in operation since October 24, 2016, and is scheduled for completion in March 2019, pending any unforeseen challenges.

The project includes the upgrading and replacement of underground water mains, the upgrading of existing - and construction of new - stormwater infrastructure, and the relocation of electrical cables and ducting for fibre optic cables.

The City will spend approximately R171m on this project which is intended to relieve congestion on the main traffic routes and at key intersections in the Kommetjie area and Ou Kaapse Weg.

The project is part of the City’s Congestion Management Programme which has prioritised Kommetjie as one of the areas in need of intervention.