Falling steel kills man in East Boston shipyard

Updated.

A worker at a steel-fabrication plant in the Boston Harbor Shipyard was crushed to death tonight by "a piece of steel shaped like an arch weighing 12,000 pounds," according to the Boston Fire Department.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office says the incident, around 6:15 p.m., appeared to be an accident. State Police and OSHA are investigating.

The worker has been identified but we are not releasing his name at this time because the circumstances do not immediately suggest foul play. A death investigation is standard in any sudden death unattended by a physician; it is led in this case by the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit because the incident took place on Massport property.