A man died after being crushed by a pop-up street urinal in central London

• A man working on a telescopic urinal in London was killed after being crushed beneath it.
• The urinals are stored underground during the day and are raised to street level at night.

A man died after being crushed by a hydraulic telescopic urinal in central London, England, while he was working on the device, the BBC reported.

The pop-up toilets are stored underground during the day and are raised to street level at night for people to use, an initiative designed to discourage urination on the street.

Emergency services were called to the scene in London's theatre district around 1 pm on Friday afternoon, and the man was freed around 3:40 pm but was later pronounced dead at the scene.

About 25 firefighters attended the incident, along with other emergency services such as police, paramedics, and air ambulance workers.

The worker was trapped below street level "underneath" the urinal, according to the London Fire Brigade, LBC reported.

Police said in a statement on Twitter: "We're sorry to have to update that, despite the efforts of emergency services, the man who was critically injured in Cambridge Circus was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed."

According to the BBC, a Westminster City Council spokesperson said: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the friends and family of the worker who tragically died earlier today at this site in the West End."

"We have been on site supporting our contractor and the emergency services and will assist all investigations in any way we can."

A second telescopic urinal has also been shut down by the council as a precaution, according to LBC.