A Ministry of Labour investigation is underway after a fatal industrial accident involving an arborist in Oshawa on Wednesday morning.

Officials say that a tree removal company contracted by the City of Oshawa was in the vicinity of Waverly Street North and Adelaide Avenue West at around 8:45 a.m. when the incident happened.

The company, Eco Tree Care, was hired by the city to remove nearby emerald ash trees.

One neighbour who spoke with CTV News Toronto at the scene said that he was using his cell phone to record the crews cutting down a tree when he saw a worker get  partially pulled into a wood chipper.

Durham police confirmed that one person was pronounced dead at the scene as a result.

“For us, the group, they’re an extended part of our family so when something like this tragic happens it just -- our heartfelt condolences and our hearts go out to the family. This is very hard to deal with,” Mike Saulnier, the director of operations for the City of Oshawa, told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday afternoon. "There’s no such place for an incident like this to happen. And that’s what’s very hard for us to digest." 

Police have not commented on the circumstances surrounding the incident, however drone footage from the scene did show what appeared to be a wood chipper surrounded by police tape.

With files from CTV News Toronto's John Musselman