McConnel stated that the damage was similar to that of an earthquake.Īt the same time, an 82,3-meter height crane is prone to collapse, a fact that highly affects the rescue operations. John Bel Edwards, Louisiana Governor, urged people to avoid visiting the area. “This remains a very fluid and very dangerous situation. For this reason, nearby buildings were quickly evacuated. According to Tim McConnell, New Orleans Fire Department Superintendent, another failure could occur in the following hours.
You couldn’t see in front of you and it lasted 30 seconds, maybe a minute,” Sarah Fischer, an employee at a Jewelry shop on Canal Street, said.Ĭurrently, only a part of the structure is considered stable. Witnesses that were nearby the scene described the moment of the collapse: “We saw, all of a sudden, just this thick cloud of white smoke and metal falling. At that time, about 100 workers were inside the structure.ĭebris fell on the streets near the iconic French Quarter.
The failure occurred on October 12, 2019, in the building's upper floors. The hotel was under construction for almost a year. Hard Rock Casino Hotel, a building under construction located at the corner of Rampart and Canal Street in New Orleans, partially collapsed killing 2 people and injuring at least 18 more.
