A construction worker was killed when a piece of heavy equipment fell on him in downtown Portland Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

The 42-year-old man was performing underground water relocation work for the Portland Mall MAX light rail project when a piece of equipment came loose and struck him, according to Mary Fetsch, spokeswoman for TriMet.

KGW File

MAX train

The accident, which occurred at the intersection of SW 6th Avenue and Alder about 2:15 p.m., is under investigation.

Construction on the project was halted for the rest of the day.

The man worked for Tigard-based Williams and Ryan Construction.